Miracle
by Dawnrider
Summary: The Shikon has influenced many lives, particularly Inuyasha and Kagome's. Seems it has one more trick up its sleeve for the young miko and her hanyou companion. Can they roll with the changes, especially when Inuyasha might not be himself? Chpt 7 up!
1. Chapter 1

I want to preface this story with several facts:

1. This story is most definitely divergent, so anything that doesn't fall under the realm of the cannon as we now know it is due to that.

2. This may seem more out there than any of my other stories. I fell under the sway of this plot months ago and tried to make the science-y things work in a way that made sense with the plot and within the limits of what I thought was possible. Any physics gurus can kick me for it, but my scientific knowledge is fairly limited. Plus, this is FANTASY, go with it!

3. I once read a story with a similar premise a long time ago, only events during Kikyo's life and then her death had caused the events in the story. I couldn't find that story to properly credit that author for the inspiration, so if you are that author or you know who they are, please let me know so I can give them their due.

4. My knowledge of Japanese culture and language is admittedly small, (like most English-speaking Fan fiction writers) so if there are glaring errors in language usage or things that would be culturally unacceptable, I apologize for that as well. I just wrote what felt right at the time based on what I do know.

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><p>Inuyasha and all the characters therein belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The line, if anyone recognizes it, in this chapter is from the movie Saved! Directorwritten by Brian Dannelly. Obviously I do not own nor make a profit from writing fan fiction. If I did, I wouldn't be unemployed and broke. Please enjoy this new story and review to let me know what you think.

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><p>The chill of the metal under the thin paper sheet made her rear end numb, but that wasn't the source of the shiver that tripped up her spine. Kagome sat with a frozen smile on her face, trying to process what she was being told. "That can't be right," she finally responded, her voice flat. She thought over what she had been told again and shook her head. Her laugh was shallow and a little harsh, fear slowly eating at her from the tips of her toes.<p>

"There's no mistaking the results Higurashi-san."

"No. That's impossible," she responded slowly, as though speaking to a child.

"You do understand the mechanics of this, do you not?" the nurse practitioner questioned her gently, noting the hysterical note entering the young woman's voice. She'd dealt with patients like this before. They didn't know how things really worked and so they were startled when they received the news. They were usually a little younger though...

Kagome shot the woman a dry look. "No, I think it's you that doesn't understand. I have never been with anyone." This gave the older woman some pause. Had she been drugged? Before she could ask, her young patient was standing and pacing in front of her. "I haven't been drugged or something, if that's what you're thinking. My... friends protect me." The nurse practitioner did not miss the hesitation in her choice of words but chose to stay silent in case she said something to indicate how this might have happened. She didn't seem like the type to be in a gang... Hard to tell these days. "This is impossible! I have never even been in a situation where... where intercourse was even possible."

Finding this all very hard to believe – after all, the excuse of immaculate conception only works once – the nurse practitioner tried to calm her patient by having her sit back down. "I'm sorry Higurashi-san, the results of the tests were extremely clear. I'm surprised you are not showing at all yet." This made the young woman scowl furiously. "In about five months or so, you're going to have a baby."

This wasn't happening to her. There was no way. She had to be having a dream of some kind, some hallucination brought on by an evil youkai, Kaou or something. But as she walked home from the bus stop, Kagome knew she was indeed awake. Something had gone terribly wrong and she couldn't explain it. Not even with an outlandish demon-infested story. Somehow, about four months prior, she'd gotten pregnant. _Even in my head it's scary. What is Mama going to say? Kami-sama, __what is Inuyasha going to do?_ This thought nearly caused the poor girl to faint in dizzying terror. Inuyasha would naturally blame her, accuse her of sleeping around while he wasn't looking or something and then the tenuous relationship they'd been maintaining over the last three years since Naraku was finished would be over. He might even think it was Koga, run off to find the ookami youkai and kill him, if only for the excuse to do so.

"Oi, wench, what's going on?" Kagome nearly leaped out of her skin. "Hey, hey, calm down. It's just me," Inuyasha soothed her, resting his hand on her upper arm. The young miko sighed roughly but nodded. She knew that he'd likely be waiting for her when she returned from her appointment since she hadn't let him come with her but she'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even felt his youki nearby. He was worried, so she couldn't blame him for not waiting inside the shrine walls, but anyone could see him out here!

"We'll talk at home. We have to get off the street." He glanced around and nodded, obviously eying the humans around him for threats. Not waiting for him to find someone he wanted to pummel, Kagome took hold of his sleeve and started for the top of the stairs. Halfway up, Inuyasha lifted her onto his back and bounded the rest of the way. Kagome didn't have the presence of mind to yell at him, simply enjoying his strength and the ride it provided. Once they reached the front door of her mother's house, Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Look, I need to talk to Mama first. Go on home and I'll be through when I'm done talking with her, alright?" She could see him trying to look for some kind of lie, then trying to form an argument of some kind. Before the words reached his lips, Kagome gave him her best pleading look. "Please. I really need to speak to her alone. I promise I'll be back in just a little while."

He wasn't pleased about the idea, but he agreed. Kagome smelled terrified and he had a feeling that pressing her to tell him the truth before she was ready would only make things worse. Her mother would calm her down. He hoped. _What did that quack tell you Kagome?_ The moment he reached the other side of the well, Inuyasha turned around and sat to watch the time portal for Kagome's arrival. Nothing would drive him from that spot until she came back.

"Mama, tadaima!" Kagome called shakily. Her mother responded from the living room where she was taking a rare moment to herself to read a book. Sota was at soccer practice and Jii-chan was cleaning out another old shed for artifacts. Her daughter's return from the doctor brought her a distraught and panicked young woman. "Mama," Kagome sobbed, falling at her mother's feet and laying her head in her lap to cry. Her mother's eyes widened considerably as she tried to hold and comfort her eldest child.

Kagome felt her mother's hands brush softly through her hair and she struggled to quiet down. Her mind was a jumbled mess and she couldn't stop crying long enough to try and tell her mother what had happened. She still had no idea how this had happened to her! "Kagome, what's wrong dear?" Her mother's gentle voice dragged her slowly from her mire of fear and she sat up, wiping her eyes and combing her hair back from her face. "What is it? What did the doctor say?" The hint of terror in her mother's voice made Kagome realize that her mother probably thought she had cancer or something terminal. With the way she'd come in, she couldn't blame her.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome tried to relate to her mother what she had been told. "Mama, I don't understand it. But somehow, I'm four months pregnant."

Her mother remained completely still for several moments, a myriad of emotions crossing her eyes. "So it's not something... serious." Her voice was hesitant. She seemed to be taking this a lot better than Kagome had anticipated.

"Uh... no, not... life-threateningly serious I guess. But Mama I..."

"I was not aware you and Inuyasha had..." Kagome cut her off immediately.

"That's just it Mama! We haven't. I haven't with anyone. Not then, not now, not ever." Being as earnest as possible apparently didn't have the affect on her mother that Kagome had hoped.

Trying to soothe her, Kagome's mother patted her hand and pulled her up to sit next to her. "Now Kagome, you don't have to lie to me. You're old enough now."

"I'm not lying, Mama," Kagome sighed. Looking her mother straight in the eye she made it very clear, "I swear to you on Daddy's grave, I have never been with anyone to my knowledge." Her mother looked at her, really looked. She was having a hard time believing her daughter's story but Kagome rarely spoke of her father, the thoughts often too painful. To swear on his grave...

"How could this have happened? I thought Inuyasha was supposed to protect you!"

"Mama, he does. Nothing like that happened either. I'm going to try talking to Kaede-obaachan. Maybe there's some weird miko thing that makes it seem like... I don't know. But I told Inuyasha I wouldn't be long. If I don't get back there, he'll come looking for me."

"Shouldn't you try to get a second opinion or take some home tests?" Kagome smiled wanly.

With a shrug she responded, "What would be the point Mama? I don't think actual pregnancy is one of those things that doctors misdiagnose very often."

"Alright dear, if you're sure."

Kagome wasn't sure, but she couldn't express that to her mother and she was already tired. That, her missing monthly friend and the fact that she'd thrown up several times in the last week had forced Kagome to have her friends come back to the well and allow her to go home for an appointment. Needless to say she had simply expected some kind of stomach virus. She couldn't explain the other problems away so easily, but pregnancy had certainly never even entered her mind.

The trip through the well was more disorienting than usual and Kagome found herself in the past much faster than she expected. Too tired to move quite yet, the young miko sat at the bottom of the well for a few moments. "Oi, you coming up anytime soon?" Looking up, Kagome saw a familiar dark silhouette framed by the fading sunlight. She nodded, but didn't move to get up. Inuyasha sighed roughly before climbing down the ladder they'd built to stand beside her. "You've been crying. Tell me what's wrong," he demanded. Looking up at him, Kagome could see the concern in his deep amber eyes. He was scared.

"Help me out of the well first." He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her so he could jump them both out. Kagome snuggled into his neck where he held her until she felt soft grass beneath her feet. "Goshinboku?" Inuyasha nodded and took her hand once more. The two walked in silence to the roots of the old tree, settling in among them to talk. "I want you to know right now that I am not lying to you, I would never try to trick you, and I'm as confused as you probably will be." While he said he believed her, Kagome could see her little opening speech hadn't made him comfortable.

"What's going on, Kagome? Are you sick?" Explaining it to Inuyasha was even more difficult than she'd anticipated. Just getting the words out was hard, let alone finding the words to make him understand that the doctors were entirely sure. That the blood test couldn't really lie and was therefor immune to threats and coercion. Much to her disbelief, he came closer, sniffing her almost everywhere. Kagome tried not to slap him when she felt he was maybe getting a little fresh. "That doctor's right. Why didn't I notice it before?" Confirmation from Inuyasha's nose was final in Kagome's mind. There was that second opinion her mother had suggested. Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks as she stared at her hanyou. "Kagome..."

"I know, I know, don't cry!" she wailed, waving her hands frantically in front of her face.

Inuyasha winced at her self-depreciating tone, catching her arms and lowering them gently to her sides. "It's not that. Did something happen in your time?" She shook her head vigorously. He sighed. "You have been here a lot," he conceded.

"I don't understand how this could have happened. I'm... I'm so scared Inuyasha." Looking even more upset, Inuyasha took her into his arms and held her. "Did... did something happen here and I don't remember?" He shook his head. He had no choice but to know that she wasn't lying to him. The inuhanyou could smell that she truly believed she had never been touched. What he couldn't figure out was why this was happening. She should remember something like that.

"Let's go talk to the baba, maybe she knows something." Kagome nodded but still needed several moments to compose herself. She couldn't believe that Inuyasha was handling this so well. Usually he would have flown off the handle, yelled and probably stomped off. But he hadn't. He was almost calmer than she was. "Come on, I'll carry you if you want," he said, offering his back. Kagome shook her head, taking his offered hand instead and standing. He led her toward the village, keeping his pace slow so she wouldn't have to strain herself.

"I have never heard of such a thing Kagome. Your doctor, he took your blood and could tell?"

Kagome sighed. "Yes, that's usually how they test for it in my time. There are home tests, but they're a little less reliable." She didn't feel like explaining the mechanics of home pregnancy tests to a feudal era miko her grandfather's age and an inuhanyou with an extremely low tolerance for "weird future stuff." Peeing on a stick seemed uncomfortable to her, what would they think? "But obviously I wasn't expecting this. I just don't get it. There's no way."

Kaede stared at the couple in front of her with her one good eye, sizing them both up. Inuyasha apparently caught the question in her glance, huffing in his fashion. "That isn't what happened baba. You think I wouldn't own up to something like that? I ain't dishonorable." She shook her head at him.

"I was not implying that you were, Inuyasha. I simply wonder if there may have been something you do not remember doing. Perhaps in your youkai state?" The glance from the younger miko at the elder made her shock at the idea clear. She had never thought of that. But what possible reason would Inuyasha, youkai or not, have to... The growl emanating from him made both women sit back a bit. "Of course. No matter what form, you would not hurt Kagome. Either way, I believe she would remember even if you did not." All three nodded. "I imagine something else must have had a hand in this predicament. I would suggest you discuss this with the others and see if they remember something happening to all of you which may explain how this could have happened." Kagome knew she'd have to explain it to them at some point, but she wasn't thrilled with the idea. Miroku was going to have a heyday with this...

"I'll smack the monk if he says anything," Inuyasha reassured her as they walked through the village to their friends' hut.

"It's ok. I'm sure he'll try to be understanding."

Almost a year and a half before, their friends had finally married. Miroku's kaazana had closed shortly after the death of Naraku, giving him a new chance at life. And he'd taken it. He'd renewed his proposal to Sango and after a year of courting - or more accurately, convincing – Sango agreed to marry him. Six months later they'd held a small ceremony and the pair returned to a modest hut that Miroku had managed to build, with Inuyasha and some of the villagers' help, on the western edge of the village. The pair had been happy for the most part though Kagome knew the pair had been trying to start a family and had been having some trouble so far. It made her news all the more painful to impart.

The two were just finishing up their evening meal when Inuyasha and Kagome arrived. "Inuyasha my friend, Kagome-sama! What brings you to our humble home?" Miroku's grand welcome made Kagome smile a little. Every time she came to visit, the ex-monk greeted her in such a way and then usually found some excuse to leave the two women alone. She imagined he felt a little awkward sitting around with them while they discussed "womanly things." With Inuyasha there to balance the conversation, he likely felt more comfortable. However, they were not there for a social call and Miroku seemed to notice the tension in his two friends quickly. "Has... something happened?"

"Keh," Inuyasha replied, sitting down next to Sango without invitation and giving Kagome a look until she too sat. Without thought she took hold of his hand beside her, gripping it tightly in an attempt to keep her wits together.

Kagome knew that this would be a difficult conversation, she hadn't realized how hard it would be to simply begin it. "I need to ask you two a few questions." Not the best way to put them at ease, but it had slipped out. "Do you recall anything strange happening to all of us about... four months ago, maybe a little before that?" The concerned looks she got in return as well as the silence made it clear they did not. She had to keep trying, maybe there was something... "It may have seemed insignificant at the time, just a little weird, or maybe there's a gap in your memories? Something you didn't think of until now?"

"Have you been to Kaede-obaachan to ask her the same questions?" Sango's voice was quiet and unsure, a clear sign to the young miko that she indeed knew something but was not sure how to tell them. When Kagome nodded, the demon slayer sighed heavily. "Miroku..."

"I know." The young man's voice was resigned and it made Kagome frown. "We thought it best not to tell you since neither of you had any recollection of it yourselves. You were unhurt and it seemed that nothing ill had befallen you."

"Spit it out bouzu," Inuyasha growled.

"Yes, of course, please be patient Inuyasha." Miroku sent the hanyou a small glare. "About a month ago, you both went down the well so that Kagome-sama could see her family. It was the night of the new moon, and so you'd thought it best to return with her, Inuyasha. Moments after you jumped in, you returned to the bottom of the well. You were hanyou again and both of you were unconscious." Kagome stared at him in disbelief as well as glanced at her friend who had kept silent about this for weeks without breathing a word. "We tried to wake you but you were unresponsive and seemed to merely be sleeping. Morning came and you both awoke as though nothing had happened. You went through the well that next afternoon and nothing strange happened again."

"How could you not tell us? What if we aren't the same Kagome and Inuyasha that went through the well?" Kagome was becoming slightly hysterical. "What if we're older than we were when we went through? Or younger?" She tried to feel her own age and didn't feel any different than before... just sick with worry.

"Kagome-chan, calm down. As far as we could tell, there were no ill effects and you both appeared to be exactly the same. Other than Inuyasha's appearance as a hanyou, there seemed to be nothing different. You had your human night this week, did you not?" Sango was obviously trying to draw some of the heated emotion away from her husband so that no one got hurt. At his nod, she nodded triumphantly. "You see? Why did you suddenly bring this up now Kagome-chan? Is... is something wrong? Did you remember something?"

Kagome found that her news made little more sense now than it had before, but it seemed even more difficult to approach. Only a month ago? But she was well into her fourth month along... Miroku and Sango were both staring at her hard, knowing by her silence that something must indeed be wrong. She had to say something. "I'm pregnant," she blurted out, regretting the abruptness immediately. The ex-slayer's face went sheet-white and stony. Kagome winced and lifted a hand to brush over her face. "But it doesn't make any sense. I have not been with anyone," she glanced up to find the married couple staring at Inuyasha. The hanyou had his eyes closed as if to ignore them but he was growling under his breath. "I'm serious you guys. I haven't been with anyone at all. And now it makes even less sense. If you say that something happened in the well a month ago, it doesn't add up with the fact that I'm four months along. It can't be related. I don't know how something like what you told us about could possibly have affected..."

"Alternate dimensions." Kagome choked. "Keh, what?"

"What are you talking about?" she squeaked. When and where had her hanyou learned such a phrase? And why did it suddenly ring a truthful little bell in her head?

"I saw it in one of those movies on your television," he replied, struggling slightly over the foreign future words. Kagome knew Inuyasha was smart, but this was more than that. She could see he was forming some kind of explanation. "Maybe, when something happened in the well, we were gone longer than it looked like here because we were in an alternate dimension. I mean, we know it's possible, look at my old man's grave."

"I thought that was the underworld... or the afterlife or something," Kagome replied. Miroku and Sango looked twice as confused now. She tried to explain what an alternate dimension was, struggling because she didn't believe such a thing was possible, and then quickly recounted the story of when she and Inuyasha went into the black pearl kept in his eye in order to get Tetsusaiga.

"But those sound like a similar if not the same situation," Miroku muttered, standing to pace and think aloud. "Perhaps, in the well, since time seems to be... fractured there, it was possible for you to slip out of time and then return to our side of the well without time having passed here."

"That doesn't make sense. We were conscious the whole time in the pearl." Kagome was getting irritated. "I remember every detail, down to the way Sesshomaru's poison smelled when it burned my skirt..." Her friends were all talking like characters in a bad science fiction movie. "How could I have gotten pregnant in between going into the well, slipping out of time or whatever, and returning to this side? We have no control over how fast or slow we travel through the well. Plus, it's not like Inuyasha would have..." Her voice fell silent. No, Inuyasha would never have willingly done anything like that with her. Certainly not consciously. "And n-no one else can use the well so..." But what if they were right and something had pulled them out of the time... stream or whatever, and that same something, perhaps someone, had forced...? But that didn't make sense either. "I need some fresh air," she supplied as an excuse to run out of the hut and lose her lunch around the corner. She heard Sango call her name, but couldn't focus on it long enough with bile rising up her throat. Inuyasha was at her heels, holding her hair back for her. Trying to push him away while emptying her stomach was not easy, and Kagome finally gave up as she finished. Inuyasha gathered her against him as she sobbed, exhausted from throwing up and terrified by what could have happened to them.

"We need to talk Kagome." His voice was so serious she couldn't deny him. Too tired to resist anyway, Kagome allowed him to carry her as he made excuses to their friends and then made his way into the forest. It was long past dark now, but Kagome wasn't worried. Inuyasha was generally scarier than anything they might run into in these woods at night. "Are you feeling any better?" Kagome kept her eyes closed but nodded. "Good. This is important."

"Do you remember something?"

He stayed silent until they were nestled in the roots of Goshinboku, Inuyasha's haori wrapped around her to keep her warm. "You trust me, don't you Kagome?" She nodded, but sat up a little straighter. This was sounding much like her own confession to him earlier and she didn't like it one bit. For several moments he continued to stare at her, possibly studying her for any indication as to what her reaction might be. "I'm not your Inuyasha."

"W-what?" Kagome blushed faintly, trying to ignore the upset fluttering in her stomach. She knew, in her head, that calling Inuyasha "hers" had always been a bit presumptuous, but she'd never said it aloud. "I don't think of you as mine," she whispered.

"Not like that. I mean, I'm not the Inuyasha you've known for the last six years."

Frowning, Kagome tried not to acknowledge what he'd said. "That isn't funny Inuyasha. I know you got this alternate dimension thing in your head earlier..."

He shook his head sharply, silencing her. "This is not a joke. I am not the Inuyasha you have known and the one that you love." Kagome gasped, pulling herself away from where he sat, embarrassed and terrified tears forming in her eyes. "Don't be ashamed Kagome, I'm glad you do. I... I feel the same way."

"You're not him. Inuyasha would never admit that he," she hesitated, "cared for me." Kagome stood shakily, stepping awkwardly over the roots surrounding her and backing away from the... impostor sitting in front of her. He rose to follow her, his eyes determined. "Stay away!" He continued after her until Kagome had no choice but to turn and run. When he gave chase, she realized she could not outrun him, impostor or not. With a sharp cry, she sank to her knees and formed a spiritual barrier, effectively blocking him out.

"Damn! I forgot how much stronger your powers are. Kagome, please, I'm not going to hurt you." She shook and sobbed, huddled to the ground as she drew symbols in the dirt to strengthen and hold her barrier. Inuyasha lowered to his knees in sight with her, keeping far enough back that he would not be shocked or purified. "Kagome? Please, listen to me! Your Inuyasha is with my Kagome, they probably don't know we've been switched. Your Inuyasha didn't know that he could allow himself to love you like you love him, and I'm sorry for that. I didn't know that my Kagome did not feel the same for me for years."

"What are you talking about? How do you understand what's going on?"

"Midoriko. She came to me when Kagome gave me the jewel. She explained that the realities are all wrong."

"W-wrong?" Kagome couldn't believe this was happening to her. "I want my Inuyasha back. I want him back now!" she screamed, sobbing wholeheartedly. Nothing was making sense, she was afraid and all she wanted was Inuyasha to hold her. But he wasn't here. And while this one would gladly hold her, he was a fake... or wrong or something. "Please, I just want everything back the way it was!" She felt her stomach turn with the force of her emotions and she gasped for air, trying not to throw up again.

"I can't do that. Damn it Kagome, let me in!" He pounded a fist against the barrier in frustration, hissing as it stung his hand. The burn healed fast enough but he knew not to attempt such a thing again. She was making herself sick and he couldn't get to her! "Just listen to me, ok? The child you carry, I know why it's there." That seemed to gain her attention, but she still wouldn't look at him, nor lower the wall between them. "We were supposed to have had a pup a long time ago. Midoriko told me that the fate of the jewel depends on it."

Kagome shook her head. The idea that the baby was hers and Inuyasha's, while comforting, was impossible. "Inuyasha and I have never been together. It is not his child. I've tried to tell everyone..."

"It is mine," the hanyou outside snarled, barely keeping himself from throwing his whole body into the crackling barrier. "Never deny that pup is mine!" Kagome finally looked up at him, fear evident in her eyes. He struggled to rein in his youki and took several deep breaths before speaking again. "Kagome, I'm still Inuyasha. I've still made all the same promises to you. I will always protect you. Always! The Kagome I've known for six years was too afraid of the way I once felt for Kikyo, and so she never allowed herself to get close to me the way you have. Don't get me wrong, we're still friends who protected and cared about one another, but she could never have stayed with me. That is why the switch had to be made."

"Why couldn't Midoriko just explain it to my Inuyasha and send him back here?"

"You have not completed the jewel here. We had and Midoriko made it pretty clear that this was the only way. I was not supposed to tell you, but you were supposed to remember at least some of it on your own over time. I don't know why you haven't." He stared at her, trying to convey his sincerity with all that he was. "Kagome, you have to be getting tired. I promise you I would never hurt you. I'm still Inuyasha, still honor-bound to protect you, still your friend. I would never break that promise. Think of the pup..."

Kagome was still unconvinced, but he was right, she was getting very tired, very quickly. She couldn't hold the barrier much longer. Not to mention that the strain of using her powers was likely not good for the baby. "Why did you have to... when I didn't know about it?" she mumbled, slowly erasing the lines in the dirt and lowering the protective wall around her. Inuyasha rushed to her side as soon as he could, helping her to her feet.

"I... didn't exactly. Apparently, in another reality, or dimension or whatever, you were pupped. But in that dimension, you were dying. Naraku was not dead yet and that Inuyasha didn't have the sense to know pupping you before he was dead was a very bad idea. Midoriko used her power and the connection through the jewel to move the pup's spirit to you. This is the place where it is safest for you and the birth is most likely to succeed." Kagome leaned a little reluctantly against his chest where he held her. "I know, it's fucking weird, isn't it?"

Kagome looked up at his face, staring at the same features she'd come to know and love over the years. There was not a single hair out of place, not a line she didn't know. He was exactly like her Inuyasha. But the inside was different. He... loved her? But he loved a different Kagome, one who was too afraid to love him. The situation was all too familiar. "So you're saying, my Inuyasha and I... we would never have been together? Because he couldn't love me?"

"It's not that," he replied, gently brushing her hair from her face with his fingers. "That Inuyasha may have allowed himself to give in eventually, but by then it would have been way too late. The jewel could have corrupted him or been stolen and the whole thing would start over." Kagome nodded slightly. "You're tired, let's get you back..."

"Will I ever see him again?" Tears again formed in her eyes and Inuyasha finally felt the guilt he had been trying to suppress.

"No. But I'm here. I'm here to protect you and... be here for you, if you'll let me." not missing his hesitation, Kagome hiccuped a sob. "Please Kagome, don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry." The familiar words coming out of the same mouth she had longed to kiss for years forced even more tears from her eyes. "Oi, Kagome," he whispered in a soothing, concerned tone. She couldn't help herself. Even if he wasn't the exact same Inuyasha, he was still Inuyasha. And he'd said he felt the same way... _But does he really?_ She had to know. His lips were soft and pliant for a moment, obviously startled by her sudden move. He quickly returned it however, pressing urgently against her. "Kagome," he sighed, kissing down the side of her cheek before returning to her mouth. "Kami-sama, you have no idea how long I have wanted this." Kagome smiled sadly, tears pooling in her eyes all over again.

"Probably as long as I have. But..."

Inuyasha pressed a clawed finger to her lips. "No buts, Wench. I... know it's hard. We have to forget the ones we knew and remember that our souls are still the same. We're still the stupid inuhanyou and weird caring miko from the future that we've always been."

"You're not stupid," she retorted automatically. He chuckled, brushing the back of one finger against her eyelids to rid her of her tears. "I-Inuyasha?" Her tentative voice made him smile a little. At least she was trying. "What do we do now?"

He didn't seem all that sure himself. "We'll take it slow, ok? There's no rush. I think I know where the last few Shikon no kakera should be and that means it shouldn't be so hard to get them back. The sooner we get them, the sooner you can relax and take care of yourself." His palm coming to rest over her bellybutton brought flashes of something to Kagome. She saw herself barely pregnant, without her same powers, trying to fight off Naraku and failing. Then she saw Midoriko's kind face as she pressed a ghostly hand to the same place Inuyasha's lay. "Kagome!" His frantic call startled her and she lost the next vision completely.

"I'm alright," she soothed, "I'm ok. I just... saw some of it." Inuyasha didn't look convinced, still holding her very close and looking incredibly worried. "I need to lie down I think. Can you take me back to Kaede-obaachan's?"

"I'll do you one better," he smirked, lifting her into his arms. Kagome squeaked, holding on tight as he took off in a quick jog. Her fear, the use of her powers and her high emotional state all day had left her drained. She didn't even get a chance to see where Inuyasha was taking her before she fell asleep against his shoulder.

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><p>Thank you for reading! Please leave a review so I at least know someone out there was paying attention.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Whelps... here's the second chapter. I gave you a too long note here last time, so minimal notage this chapter. Please enjoy and leave a review if you have time. Thank you!

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><p>Her head hurt and the sunlight coming through the window was not helping. Kagome rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head. She'd had the weirdest dream last night and it still kind of freaked her out. "You're awake." Frowning at the unexpected voice, she pulled the sheet down just far enough to peek out. It was Inuyasha. What was he doing in Kaede's hut this early? He usually waited until well after she'd gotten up, bathed and gotten dressed before approaching her. Finally taking the time to look around the room, she realized it was unfamiliar. Kagome sat up, staring at the sparse furnishings and eventually at Inuyasha. "Don't worry, you're safe," he said softly in response to her worried frown. "This is... my hut."<p>

"You don't have a hut." Kagome was beginning to see that her so-called dream probably hadn't been just a dream.

"Yes, I do. I've had it for months. I just didn't tell you about it because I was embarrassed." Kagome's eyes narrowed. "I thought that it was a step closer to us... to me moving on, but I thought you would probably stay in your time and so I never said anything about it."

"How do you know that's what my Inuyasha was thinking?" she replied angrily. The side of Inuyasha's mouth twitched in a sad smile.

"Because it was exactly what I was thinking when I built a hut. I knew there was never a chance in hell. But I built it anyway." At her quizzical look he laughed a little. "Even though I knew, there was still... I felt it was right for you to stay here." Kagome raised a shaking hand to her forehead. Her headache was back full force and it seemed unlikely to fade on its own. Reaching for the bag she usually carried with her, assuming it to be at her side like it always was, Kagome came up empty handed. "It's in the other room, I'll get it." Other room? Kagome slowly crawled out from under the blanket, coming to stand at the doorway she'd seen Inuyasha go through.

She'd assumed it was the entrance to the hut, but instead she found a whole other main room with another doorway that had to go into yet another room. Kagome gaped at the space. "He... you built this yourself?"

"Uh, yea. I guess he started it. Must have taken a lot of hard work." Kagome's eyes welled up with tears as she explored the rest of the room before coming to stand at the doorway to the other room. It was the main bedroom and it too had another door. A door into the most amazing bathroom she had ever seen in the Sengoku Jidai. Inuyasha had put a lot of work into it. "I know it must be hard... to see what he began..."

"You have no idea," she whispered. She was unprepared for the snarl she heard behind her.

"That's not fair Kagome!" he shouted, startling her and forcing her eyes to his. "I know you're scared, and angry. I'm angry too! I can't go back to where... when... whatever. I can't go back. I'll never see my Kagome again either. But I'm here with you now and like it or not, we're stuck together, so you'd better fucking get used to it!" With that, he stormed out of the bedroom and out of the hut. Kagome didn't try to follow him, knowing he would need to blow off some steam. Likely they would have plenty of firewood for the coming month...

She felt guilty for acting like that. She just couldn't help missing the Inuyasha she knew. Knowing that this Inuyasha was not the same one made it very difficult to feel for him the same way she always had. She felt like she had to get to know him all over again. He seemed to care for her in the same way, but she couldn't believe he'd come to that conclusion so easily. Obviously he was still struggling with it like she was.

Unsure what else to do, Kagome rifled through the food stores and got out supplies for some porridge. It was simmering away when Inuyasha finally returned. He wouldn't look at her, going to sit at the doorway into the main bedroom. His back against the wall, arms crossed in front of him with Tetsusaiga resting across him, he looked exactly like the Inuyasha she'd always known... the same pout, the same droop to his ears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I should have been more sensitive to you. I know you must be hurting too and I was so caught up in feeling sorry for myself that I ignored that."

She heard him sigh, "Keh, I shouldn't have yelled at you." She smiled a little. Spooning out two bowls, she took one over to him and sat a few feet away to eat her own. "Thanks," he murmured. Kagome glanced up at him, nodding, before returning to her food.

Several minutes later, they had both finished but remained sitting in silence. Kagome had been mulling over their situation for most of that time and finally came up with the courage to ask the question that had been nagging at her since the beginning. "Why did you tell me the truth?" Inuyasha looked up at her from his bowl. "You could have continued to pretend and I might never have known the difference," she admitted.

"And when the pup was born in a few months and there was no doubt it was mine? You would think I'd done something to you." Kagome shook her head softly. She couldn't deny that the thought would have crossed her mind then. Not that she honestly believed Inuyasha could ever take advantage of her like that or hurt her in any physical way. But he was right, the evidence would be there and there wouldn't have been any other viable explanation. "I couldn't let you think I would ever hurt you like that."

"But..."

"It doesn't matter Kagome. A lie is still a lie. There's no way I could live with myself, lying to you for the rest of our lives." He sighed, getting up to take Kagome's bowl from her and setting both of them in a bucket of water by the genkan. He stood staring toward the door for some time, his ears twitching slightly. She couldn't tell if it was simply agitation or if he was listening for something. Kagome worried that he was considering leaving. "Someday you're going to remember everything and if that had happened and I had lied to you, you would have hated me anyway."

"I don't hate you. I'm just..."

"Confused. I am too." Kagome frowned at his back. Inuyasha glanced at her over his shoulder before letting out a soft snort. "Just because I know what happened doesn't mean I know why. Midoriko never really explained why it had to be me, why I had to leave my reality to come here, why she couldn't explain to... to the other me. I don't think it really matters now." Taking a few steps over to where she was sitting, he knelt beside Kagome, resting a hand on her knee. "The pup is what matters. Taking care of you and making sure you're ok is the most important thing. So if we can't... figure this shit out, then we need to at least find a way to make it work for the pup." Kagome nodded silently, taking in his words and trying to process them. There was so much to consider now that their relationship was expected to change, the baby notwithstanding. How was she supposed to treat someone who wasn't quite the man she loved, not exactly her best friend and not really the father of her child... but was all of those things at the same time? Why was her life so confusing?

Looking around she thought back on what he had said about the hut. "You said he started this? Does... does that mean you finished it?" Inuyasha glanced around as well as though taking in the building for the first time himself.

"Yea. The foundation was much bigger than the one I built before... But once I started working on it, it seemed to make sense. I felt how it was supposed to go. It was mostly done anyway." Kagome stared at the faintly far away look on his face, the way the amber in his eyes glowed as his thoughts drifted away. Was he thinking about the other her? The Kagome he'd left behind? She shook off the thought. How much sense did it make to be jealous of herself?

Part of the reason she was so thrown off by this Inuyasha, was the way he spoke to her. He sounded older, more mature, than the Inuyasha she remembered. He'd been acting, obviously, for the last couple of weeks because she hadn't noticed the difference at all. Granted he'd been kinder to her, more patient, but she'd assumed that was a result of many things, her sudden illness most importantly. But this hanyou in front of her spoke like Inuyasha would if he'd had a few years to think about his behavior and had decided to change it. "You're older."

"Huh?" Not quite the eloquent response she was expecting.

"You're older than the Inuyasha I knew. Maybe only a few years, but I can tell."

Inuyasha rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Actually, I'm not. We're all the same age, that's the same across the different dimensions from what I could understand. I've just learned to control myself better. My... The other Kagome wasn't as patient with my behavior as you've been here. It took a while, but I learned. After a while she stopped sitting me completely."

Slightly appalled by her other self's treatment of the hanyou she frowned. "I wish I never had to use that word again." Inuyasha looked skeptical. Kagome smiled softly. "I'm serious. I hate having to do that to you. I told myself a long time ago that I would only use it to protect you. But my Inuyasha is so stubborn and... volatile. He gets so angry sometimes and calls me the worst names, just because Kirara stole the last fish or Miroku teased him about still being a virgin." Kagome waved off the issues as unimportant while Inuyasha balked at the affront to his masculinity. "He really leaves me no choice sometimes."

Inuyasha tried to ignore the way she continued to talk about his other self in the present tense, as though he may walk back through the door at any moment. It hurt, like an angry stirring in his gut. He was trying so hard to forget about the other Kagome and focus on the one in front of him, and here she was, flaunting his other self in his face. He didn't know how to make it clear to her without it dissolving into an argument. At the same time she was talking to him as though some of their experiences were indeed theirs, referring to him directly and reminding him of his involvement as though it had been him there all along. It was very confusing and it was making him very frustrated.

Cleaning up the meal took almost no time and the two decided that a short walk outside to get some fresh air would be a good idea. Kagome seemed to relish the time outdoors even more than Inuyasha did, who didn't care for being inside unless he had to be. But the young miko was glowing in the morning light, the breeze tossing her hair around her face. She looked more beautiful than he remembered her to be. Something about the small smile on her lips made him feel like glowing a little himself. "When the baby's born..."

"Pup," Inuyasha corrected automatically.

"Alright, pup," she conceded. "Will he look like you?" Inuyasha frowned, looking down at the grass under his bare feet. He hadn't really thought about that yet. Part of him really hoped that it might, what father doesn't want to see a resemblance in their child? But the other, stronger part, hoped to all the Kami in existence that the child would look like Kagome. He wouldn't wish a childhood like his on anyone, certainly not his own pup.

"I... I don't know. Maybe," he said, shoving his hands into his sleeves and crossing his arms over his chest as they walked.

Kagome glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Would it bother you if he did?" she questioned him in a confused tone. The inuhanyou at her side shrugged roughly, an awkward and telltale gesture. Inuyasha was trying to act nonchalant and that was something he'd never been good at. In order to quell his fears about her wishes, she decided to cut to the point. "I hope he has your ears."

The words were soft, but they hit Inuyasha like a punch in the gut. That was the last thing he'd been expecting her to say. She... really wanted the pup to look like him? She wanted it to have his ears? She had to be crazy! But he could sense nothing but sincerity coming from her. "What?" More of an expulsion of air than a question, but Kagome blushed deeply, ducking her head.

"I-I just think that our... pup... should look like you. You're so... unique and beautiful. I..." She stopped talking, staring at her toes as they walked. Birds whistled and chirped in the silence between them, accented by the buzzing of bumble bees bobbing around the early spring buds. After several moments she spoke again,"Sorry. I won't bring it up anymore."

The inuhanyou was still a bit speechless, unsure what to tell her. "It's not that Kagome. I just... the other Kagome never would have said anything like that to me." Kagome frowned a moment and he struggled to take the topic off of their other selves. "T-thanks Kagome," he murmured, reaching over to gently take her hand in his own. She slowly relaxed, squeezing his hand to let him know she understood.

They continued their walk around the village, several of its inhabitants greeting them as they passed. Kagome was all smiles for them, asking the elder women about children who had just been married or just had children of their own, asking the younger mothers about their kids who had run off to play. While it might not be her natural time, this was her home too and her attachment to these people grew everyday. Inuyasha accepted any greetings directed at him with a silent nod, rarely speaking more than a gruff "hey" in response. The villagers expected nothing less of the rough hanyou they had gained as a protector since the arrival of the strange miko girl from the future. They allowed him to keep them at a distance while they came to respect him more as time passed.

Kagome noticed that there were several more women with infants either strapped to them as they made their way about the village or, more often, cradled delicately while they sat just outside their front doors to get some sunlight. She was having a very hard time picturing herself in the same position, but she'd heard a friend of her mother's say once that she didn't even think of herself as being pregnant or a mother until she was well into her sixth or seventh month, when she started to show exponentially. Looking down at her own relatively flat stomach, Kagome couldn't imagine what she was going to look like in a couple of months. Would she get really big? She had mixed feelings about the idea. While she had dreamed about being pregnant a few times when she imagined some kind of future with Inuyasha, she'd never really considered it a possibility. It was nothing like the reality, and certainly not this reality. _My life never sticks to the paths I expect_. With a soft sigh, she smiled at another villager, an older man with a bum knee who kept an eye on his grandchildren for his son and daughter-in-law while she went about the family's chores for the day. "Lovely day Miko-sama," he called.

"It is. I hope you're well, ojii-san." He grinned and laughed, waving his cane at them and hobbling after his youngest grandson. "He's such a sweet old man."

"Keh." Kagome rolled her eyes, but didn't allow Inuyasha's pensive mood ruin her own. As they reached Kaede's hut, the inuhanyou frowned. "What are they all doing here?" he muttered. Kagome's brows furrowed. She followed him into the hut, seeing the cause for his question. Miroku and Sango were both sitting with Kaede, softly steaming tea in their hands. What surprised Kagome to see was a young kitsune with flaming red hair. He turned to look at her and she stopped breathing. He'd grown in the few years since she'd seen him. He'd kept in touch, but he hadn't been to the village in the three years since Naraku had been defeated. "Hey runt, what are you doing here?" Shippo smiled tentatively, standing to greet them. The kit had barely reached her knees when they'd first found him, had been almost chest height when he left to find the other kitsune clans, he was now almost eye-level with Kagome. She wasn't terribly tall, but to see such a change in her little kit...

"Ka-Kagome," he greeted, bowing slightly. Kagome gaped at him for a moment before rushing over to embrace him. He released a rough breath under the pressure of her arms, laughing slightly. "Kagome." She laughed and squeezed him harder until he returned her hug.

"You've grown so much!" Kagome stated the obvious. The kitsune rubbed his neck sheepishly, blushing and biting his lip. "I'm so glad to see you."

"I'm glad to see you too. Inuyasha," he finally acknowledged the hanyou. With a grunt of approval, he nodded and moved to sit against the wall. Kagome and Shippo sat as well, the young miko saying hello to her friends in turn. "I wanted to see how you guys were doing for myself. Your letters just aren't enough," he said by way of explanation, "And sometimes Myouga gets lost and forgets to deliver them until they're months old." Kagome grinned a little though she felt the pressure of her recent discovery weighing on her. She and Inuyasha still hadn't discussed if they should tell anyone the truth of what had happened. But how could they avoid telling them the truth when they'd already made it clear that nothing had happened between them?

As the group caught up, Kagome found herself lost inside her head. She was listening, responding to questions and laughing along with the others but she felt as though that was someone else. What was she really going to do? An honest to goodness baby was growing inside her and Inuyasha was the father. She knew he hoped she would just accept the whole situation and follow along with whatever was "suppose to happen" in their future. Well she wanted an explanation from Midoriko herself. Not that she didn't trust Inuyasha, but he didn't seem to know much more about it than she did and he couldn't give her the answers she needed. "Kagome?" Snapping her head up to look at her friends, Kagome realized she had been staring at her lap intently, not listening anymore. "Are you alright?" Shippo asked gently, touching her knee. She heard Inuyasha growl lowly but he bit it off when everyone looked at him, blushing faintly.

"Hai Shippo-chan, I'm fine." His face told her he didn't believe her, even after she gave him a wide smile and Sango's concerned look wasn't helping either. "So tell me about this girl you keep mentioning." It was a decent distraction, Shippo blushing and the other three looking up at him with interest, but Inuyasha continued to watch her avidly the rest of the time they remained in the hut. When it came time to go to bed, Kagome suddenly panicked. How was she going to explain going with Inuyasha to his hut when Shippo was likely going to stay here at Kaede's?

"Oi runt, where are you staying?" The kitsune glanced at Kaede then at Kagome. "I got an extra room at my place. I know you have a hard time sleeping since the baba snores."

Kagome squeaked angrily. "Inuyasha!"

"Keh. She does." Kaede took the mild insult with grace, chuckling lightly and waving them all out of her hut. "Look, we gotta talk kid." Kagome stood at the doorway to the old miko's hut, watching Miroku and Sango walk back home arm in arm. At Inuyasha's statement to Shippo, her head whipped around, staring at the hanyou with wide eyes. "Come on," he waved to her. She hesitated a moment before following along. Once they had returned to the hut, Shippo took a bit to sniff around before they could settle down to talk. "You know already."

"It's hard not to smell it. I'm not a little kid anymore Inuyasha. My nose is probably better than yours." The inuhanyou growled at this but said nothing in response. "She doesn't smell like you any more than usual... Why didn't you say anything in your letter a couple months ago?" he directed at Kagome.

She stumbled to answer, unsure what to tell the kitsune. "She didn't know until yesterday," Inuyasha cut in. "This is a lot more complicated than it seems." And Inuyasha began to explain what had happened as best he could. Kagome sat in silence, watching the expressions on Shippo's face as the truth was unfolded to him.

"But you don't smell any different." He made his point by leaning closer to sniff the hanyou more deeply. Inuyasha growled at him sharply but did nothing more. "Wow. I mean, really? This is so crazy!"

"Please, you can't tell the others yet. We're still not sure why this had to happen this way. I still don't remember anything." Kagome's pleading eyes were more than enough to draw a promise out of the kitsune. He also told them he would stick around and help them find the rest of the jewel since he had come into a few more tricks in his time with the other fox demons. He also agreed to stay for the night in the spare room since he really didn't fancy sleeping in the woods when a futon was available. Kagome hugged him goodnight and watched him head to bed. Then came the true test of how the night would go. The miko turned to look at her companion who seemed to be staring at her already.

What did she want him to do? He knew what he wanted. He knew what the right thing to do was. He even knew what the very attentive Shippo would expect them to do. But none of that mattered. Only what Kagome wanted mattered. He stood and approached her, watching for any flinch or movement away from him. She did none of that. The young woman simply stared at him. Perhaps she was waiting to see what he would do. "Kagome..."

"I um... I can go back over to Kaede-obaachan's if you want," she sputtered. Inuyasha frowned slightly.

"Is that what you want?"

Her mouth twitched in thought. "No."

"Stay here. I can sleep out here if you're... uncomfortable," he growled the last. For some reason the very idea of Kagome being so uncomfortable around him as to not sleep in the same room with him made his hackles raise. He wanted to be close to her, needed to be.

Kagome shook her head faintly. "It's your hut Inuyasha."

"It's yours. I built it for you."

"It's ours then," she conceded to avoid an argument, not realizing her admission until Inuyasha's eyes widened and his ears swiveled pointedly toward her. "Uh..." Biting her lip she thought more carefully about what they were deciding. This was not the turning point in their relationship, this was not the be all end all either. This was simply a moment in time and she had to stop placing so much importance on it. "You should be allowed to sleep in your own room. You take the futon, I'll use my sleeping bag." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her solution before leading her gently into the bedroom. He gave her one last look before rolling out the futon and blankets. "Oh."

"Uh huh." The two of them stared at the double futon, clearly unused. Again, he knew what he wanted, and he knew what the right thing to do was but... "Look, it's big enough that we can share it and you can have your side and I'll have mine, ok?"

Kagome chewed her lower lip, not taking her eyes off the very large, very comfortable looking futon. Finally she nodded. She heard Inuyasha release a sigh before stepping into the bathroom to do something. While he was gone Kagome quickly changed into her pajamas, taking a moment to touch her bellybutton. She still couldn't believe there was really a baby in there. Sliding under the blankets, a little stiff from never having been used but still soft, Kagome slowly allowed herself to relax. Inuyasha's return from the bathroom made her tense again, however, as he stood in a simple pair of sweats she'd given him years ago. His bare chest and face lightly glowed in the moonlight from the window and the young miko found her breath had left her. When his nostrils flared faintly, Kagome realized he was probably very aware of what seeing him like this did to her and she blushed, finally turning away and hiding her face under the sheet. _Could this be any more embarrassing?_ she wondered as she felt the other half of the futon become occupied.

Inuyasha squirmed around for a few moments before he seemingly got comfortable. He not only smelled Kagome's nervousness in the air but the faint scent of her excitement. That she was even slightly attracted to him made him feel better, but her anxiety far outweighed her attraction at the moment. "Goodnight," he heard her whisper. He grunted something similar and tried to ignore how close she was. It was just so tempting to reach out and touch her, try to hold her... something! Nearly half an hour later they were both still wide awake and trying to hide it. Inuyasha sighed and rolled over to find Kagome facing him. He blinked a few times, startled to see her staring straight at him. "I..."

"Can't sleep either?"

"No," she laughed softly. Chewing her lip, she appeared to be contemplating something. "Do you think... It's kind of weird. Could you touch me?" The inuhanyou's eyebrows shot straight up into his bangs, golden eyes wide in shock. "On my stomach!" Kagome hissed, flushing as she realized what she'd said. Unsure how to react, Inuyasha pulled himself up on one elbow and stared down at her. "I just... I started to remember stuff the last time, and I thought maybe, if I knew more, then I wouldn't be so worried." While the logic made sense, in a weird way, Inuyasha was frightened by the prospect that touching her at all would lead him into deeper temptation. "Please?"

She heard him sigh roughly. "Alright, wench." She smiled at him in gratitude, peeling back the sheet so she could lie on her back. Again, she heard Inuyasha expel a rough breath. She lay there for a few moments in the silence, unsure if he actually intended to follow through. She didn't entirely understand his hesitation but when he did finally touch her his hand was trembling. Nothing happened. Kagome frowned and tried to concentrate on the memories she'd had before. Still nothing. "Kagome?" She shook her head. After a moment she lifted her hands to the hem of her t-shirt, pushing it up to sit just under her bra and pulling Inuyasha's hand back down onto her bared stomach this time. They remained that way for several minutes, neither one saying a word.

Her skin was so smooth. He supposed he'd always known that, but it was amazing to really feel it for himself. The muscles of her stomach quivered slightly under his fingertips and he found himself gently moving them to calm her. It seemed to have much the opposite affect, Kagome's eyes flicking to his when her whole body twitched. The soft scent of her arousal curled in his nose again. About to do something more, Inuyasha was shocked when her eyes seemed to glaze over like they had the day before and her breathing came in soft pants.

What startled him more was finding himself drawn into his own memories and yet not. Heavy breathing, the slide of fabric over heated skin as his lips trailed over the soft flesh of his mate. She gasped his name, her fingers digging into his hair to surround his ears. He felt it as though he were there. Kagome sighed and squirmed, seeking more from him, touching him like he'd never been touched before. And it felt good, really good. Without much patience he removed the rest of their clothing, straining at the bit of his own self-control. Kagome's soft pleas didn't help any and Inuyasha felt the situation spiral into passionate oblivion far faster than he had anticipated.

A soft cry of his name brought him into another memory, again not really one of his own, and he stared down at the dying face of his love. His breathing quickened in fear and he reached out to her. Instead of her chest, where a gaping wound bled, he found the jewel in his grasp. As soon as he touched it, the memory faded and he was in a more familiar place. Midoriko stood in front of him, cradling a small clear globe to her chest. At first, he'd thought it was the Shikon. Kagome lay on a pedestal on his left, the Kagome he now realized was not the same one who he knew, but still his Kagome. Her Inuyasha had already been transferred to his reality and the Inuyasha who was actually the father of the child now resting in Midoriko's hands was dead. His memories and feelings roiled under his thoughts, a part of him and yet someone else entirely. It was up to him now.

He tried to ask the ancient priestess why but she only smiled and whispered a blessing as she gently pushed the globe of light into Kagome's abdomen. Her scent suddenly flared in his nose, the fact that she was pregnant very clear. He couldn't be sure if he was happy about the turn of events but knew that a primal instinct, along with the alternate version of himself, made him purr with pride that his mate was pupped.

A sudden gasp turned his head to the right, another memory that was definitely not his own changing the landscape. "But how could you do this to us, to me? We're... I'm not ready for a child."

"It is for the very sake of the world that you must take on this burden, Kagome. You are a strong miko, much stronger than your counterparts, and the hanyou who is to be the father of your child is more openly compassionate and caring than you know. He will make an excellent mate and he is more than strong enough to protect you and your future family."

"But he's not my Inuyasha!"

Midoriko chuckled. "They are all your Inuyasha, child. It is simply a matter of accepting the love he has for you, accepting the love in his soul."

"That's why he's not my Inuyasha. Inuyasha doesn't... doesn't love me." Kagome's voice trailed into a whisper at the last, her head tucking down.

Midoriko stared at the young woman in front of her for quite some time. "If you truly believe that, why do you love him so completely? If he did not love you in some capacity, do you think I would force this child upon you? The goal is the purity of the wish for the Shikon no Tama. There is nothing so pure as the love a parent has for their child. Yet the combined love the two of you share and that which you will have for your child is what will truly promise the end of the Shikon no Tama and free our world from the strife its existence causes." Kagome couldn't seem to argue with that but Inuyasha could see the doubt in her face. "Trust in me Kagome. You will come to love this man as much and more than you have ever loved him in the past. Trust in him and the love that he will try so hard not to show you." She nodded and the memory faded completely.

His vision was filled with a red tinge, a dark palace surrounding him. He heard two women calling to him, one demanding he give himself over to his beast and the other calling him back. He followed the second, more familiar voice before realizing it was Kagome. She was crying for him even as his claws dug into her shoulders. "Please, Inuyasha, I love you just the way you are. Come back," she whispered. And then her lips were on his and he felt his soul pulse in response to her kiss. He wanted to return to her, wanted to be with her more than anything. The red faded from his vision and his claws retracted from her flesh, his eyes closing and his lips responding to hers. That too faded.

Inuyasha was left staring down at Kagome who was gasping for breath. Sweat trickled from her temples and her whole body seemed flushed. His hands rested on her waist, his knees bracing him up between her thighs. She stared up at him, equally confused, but unable to keep herself from running her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes a moment, relishing the soft touch.

"In...Inuyasha?"

He breathed out a growl at the sound of her husky voice. "It's alright, Kagome," he whispered. "I've got you." He lowered himself slowly, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to his chest. He had... hurt her. He didn't remember doing that. The entire event felt foreign to him, as though it were lived by someone else. The other Inuyasha... Her Inuyasha? Yet he felt that he'd always known she loved him. Somewhere in the back of his mind he felt the repeated brush of something, some memory he was sure he should recall and couldn't. She nuzzled her face against his collarbone, breathing out a deep sigh, distracting him from his thoughts. Their bare skin stuck together with sweat where they touched. "Kagome."

"I'm ok," she murmured. "I'm sorry I made you do that." He frowned, pulling away. "I didn't mean for you to have to remember all that with me." Inuyasha shook his head softly, lowering his mouth to hers. She accepted his kiss eagerly, responding by using the tip of her tongue to investigate his lips. Inuyasha hadn't been anticipating that and gasped slightly, opening himself to her questing tongue. She smiled against his mouth before pushing further into the kiss. The motion of her moving against him made Inuyasha gasp, pressing himself against her. "Inuyasha," she breathed softly, making it clear that it had a similar effect on her as well.

Phantom memories brushed along the edge of Inuyasha's consciousness, the memory of their first time together in another reality, the moment he'd known she was truly his. Shaking his head to dislodge the thought, he focused on the woman below him and the scent of her arousal in the air. That hadn't been him, nor had it been her. They were both alive and well and they had never... He laughed faintly, nuzzling the soft spot just under her ear. "I've never even seen you naked," he whispered, almost more to himself than to her. Kagome stiffened and Inuyasha lifted his head to look down at her. Her eyes were curious and still heated, her pupils wide in the dark. "I have these memories of the other me, the one that died with the other you. Our first time together," he murmured, nibbling her chin thoughtfully. Kagome's eyes closed as though she too was remembering what he did. "But I realized I've never even seen you in less than this."

"Sure you have, lots of times," she muttered, laughing a little. He frowned. He hadn't. Not that he could remember anyway. He had seen the Kagome of his reality a scant handful of times and they were generally in dire circumstances when he didn't get to enjoy it and she was still mostly covered. The only time he'd peeped on her without her knowing had been the first week he knew her, and she'd sat him off a cliff when she noticed him... Apparently his counterpart had seen this Kagome far more often. The jealousy was a vicious thing and he struggled not to nip Kagome's shoulder too hard when he tried to distract himself from his thoughts with her body. She gasped, arching her back slightly, bringing her hips up against him. "Inu... Inuyasha," she breathed.

The sound tickled his ears and reminded him none too subtly that his counterpart had never been with Kagome like this before and most of his jealousy vanished. Laving his tongue over where his teeth had been, he was glad not to taste any blood as he'd feared he'd bitten too hard. The woman below him was breathing heavily, gasping out to him as her fingertips roamed his back in needy uncertainty. She wanted something from him, she just didn't seem to know what it was yet.

A creak made him sit up, his whole body rigid with alertness instead of anticipation. "What?" Kagome whispered. His ears swiveled to the room next door and he sighed deeply. Her eyes drifted to the wall where he was staring and she flushed red, finally remembering that Shippo could likely hear everything that was going on in their room. She pulled her hands away from Inuyasha's shoulders to cover her cheeks, closing her eyes and trying to breathe out her embarrassment. Inuyasha sank onto the futon beside her, also struggling to calm himself down. "Maybe I should have stayed at Kaede-obaachan's," she murmured into her hands. He grinned a little.

"Then I would have been grouchy in the morning."

Kagome frowned. "Inuyasha, you're always cranky in the morning."

"Hey!" Kagome chuckled softly, reaching over to pat him lightly on the chest. The pair had switched sides in their excitement and didn't notice until they both curled into their new pillows, the scent of the other tickling one nose and wrapping securely around the other. "Kagome?"

"Hmm?" murmured the young woman, now almost asleep.

Another hesitation. "Would you mind if I... well you know, I don't want you catching a cold or whatever." Kagome blinked sleepily, looking at the wall across from where she lay. She felt him move slightly closer to her turned back, the warmth of his body lulling her even closer to sleep. When the tentative weight of his arm rested on her side she couldn't help smiling, pushing herself further back into his chest. She felt him release a sigh, his breath ruffling her hair. This... this was nice. The soft rhythm of his breathing, the warmth of his skin and the gentle rumbling sound he made in his chest that he didn't know she could hear, all combined into a kind of lullaby that helped Kagome go right to sleep.

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><p>I want to thank those of you who have added this story to your alerts or reviewed. I appreciate the time taken to read and give a signal that you are enjoying the story. I feel that a lot of people have stopped taking even that small amount of time and expending that small amount of effort. I'm just as guilty, so I intend to change that in the future. If you enjoy a story, at least let the author know it! Thanks again guys!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again! Third chapter for "Miracle" here. Just as a note, the chapters in this story are much longer than I generally post. (7-9 pages in Open Office as opposed to 4-5) That more than likely means that the overall story will be relatively short chapter-wise, though still as long as one of my usual stories. It was far too long to be a one-shot (obviously) and it's really too short to be anything too substantial, so we'll call it a short story and be happy with that. I'm glad that many of you are enjoying the story, despite finding the premise strange. Thank you to those of you who have found the time to review!

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><p>Several weeks passed and the new couple were still somewhat awkward around one another in public. The others had been let in on the secret in a rather eventful meeting. Sango had made an attempt on Inuyasha's skull. No one was really sure if it was for not telling them sooner, not owning up to Kagome's pregnancy from the start or for being from an alternate dimension. Miroku had choked and Kagome had been forced to make some sort of rescue attempt. Shippo had sat back, amused and collected through the whole thing. By the end, the married couple had said they understood, but still gave Inuyasha skeptical looks most of the time.<p>

Kagome was still trying to get used to the changes she was going through far too quickly. She had the strangest cravings, most of which required trips through the well to run to the twenty-four hour convenience store for onion potato chips and strawberry snack cakes or American kosher dill pickles and chocolate pocky. Luckily the throwing up had ended rather quickly, though Inuyasha was positive the things she was eating should have made it worse.

Unsure if it was the eating or the baby, Kagome had noticed that her skirts and pants didn't fit like they had and made Inuyasha walk with her all over the place. "Are you planning on actually arriving somewhere or are you just going to walk all over the damn village?" he would grumble. He didn't understand the principle of exercise the way she knew it, but strolled with her anyway. When he got too bored he would often find Sango to replace himself as a walking companion. While both women liked the time to spend together, Sango didn't appreciate being more or less abducted from her home and carried halfway across the village by a frustrated hanyou.

"Next time just tell me you're bored and I'll walk over to Sango-chan's and get her myself!" Kagome would growl, her temper rising. Sango would pat her shoulder consolingly, Inuyasha would snort a "keh" and bound off and Kagome would fume for a few minutes before they found other things to talk about. Sango was fascinated by Kagome's new lot in life, especially the rapid succession of changes she was going through. Her complexion had become rosier and her face slightly fuller. She was doing what Kagome had told her was called "nesting" as well, cleaning every nook and cranny in the hut and finding things she swore they needed that Inuyasha couldn't seem to understand what they were for. Nothing was ever clean enough and Sango had been forced to remind her several times that the floor outside the genkan was in fact dirt and would remain that way no matter how much she swept.

Unsure how to bring up some of her more pressing worries, Kagome chewed her lip, walking alongside her friend at a more sedate pace than usual. "Something's bothering you Kagome-chan. What's wrong?"

"I... Sango? What do you know about hanyou?" Her friend gave her an odd look. "I mean... well, about youkai? Oh... I'm not making any sense." She took a deep breath and prepared to try again. "Have you ever heard anything about youkai pregnancies?"

Sango frowned a moment before realizing what Kagome was asking her. "You mean about human women carrying hanyou." Kagome blushed faintly, nodding vigorously. "I'm sorry Kagome. Nothing that might be very useful... or comforting." At that her friend paled, stopping her slow walk forward. The tajiya sighed deeply, motioning her friend after her. The two women found a small hill just beyond the village and had a seat in the grass.

"What do you mean it isn't comforting?" The young miko gasped, looking at Sango with wide eyes. "Is it dangerous? Is that why you were so upset with Inuyasha?"

The elder of the two took a deep breath, not wanting to have this conversation, and yet knowing it needed to happen. "Not exactly. I have heard... seen some hanyou pregnancies go very wrong." Resting a hand on Kagome's shoulder when she opened her mouth to ask a question quieted her. "That was only if the woman had been taken against her will and usually by certain kinds of youkai. Insect youkai, lesser youkai certainly, and sometimes youkai whose other form is too large for the human woman's body to handle. Bear youkai and human pairings, given that they are caring parents on their own but are very large creatures, can go either way." She looked down at the grass between her knees for a moment. "As I said, the willingness of the mother has a great deal to do with the success of the birth, as well as the time leading up to it." She saw Kagome nod out of the corner of her eye. "I don't know about inuyoukai because Inuyasha is the first inuhanyou I've ever met or seen. If his mother survived his birth, I am sure that you will be fine. I was worried though. When you came to us, not knowing what had happened to you..."

"You though that he had..."

Sango nodded sullenly. "The thought had crossed my mind. I couldn't help it. I know he would never hurt you, he cares too much for you." Sango finally met the eyes of her friend. "But when you told us everything, that he wasn't... isn't the same Inuyasha..."

"I understand. It crossed mine too. But I told myself it wasn't possible. That he would never hurt me was so natural, a given, that I was only thinking about how he would never want me that way." Tears filled her eyes suddenly and she ducked her head, scrubbing at her face. "I'm sorry, Sango-chan. I'm such a mess these days." Sango smiled softly, reaching her arm around her friend to hold her in a loose hug until she stopped crying.

"Don't worry Kagome-chan, I'm sure you'll see everything will be fine."

From the roof nearest the hilltop where they sat, a pair of golden eyes watched, hurt and angry. _She doubts me. She really thinks I could have... The slayer I get, but Kagome?_ He snarled. He'd thought they were getting through that. He held her every night, kissed her almost every chance he could get her alone. And still she thought he didn't want her! He wasn't sure how else to prove it to her. Being with her completely was not an option. Not right now.

"I guess... the question I really had," he heard her say, "was how long they usually last. I mean... Inuyasha thinks that we're going to go out and find the last shards. But I'm blowing up like a blimp as it is. I'm barely going to be mobile in a few weeks at this rate." He saw the slayer's confusion at her analogy and smirked faintly when Kagome was forced to show her how much the kimono she'd borrowed from her mother was hiding the growth of her middle. Every night he gently felt the distention of her stomach, trying to judge how much she'd grown since the night before. It seemed minute to him, but he could imagine why it seemed like so much to her. She had gone straight from being a virgin to being four, almost five now, months pregnant. Her body was trying to keep up with the rapid change as well as make space for the pup.

"Kagome-chan! I didn't know you were showing already!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at Sango's barely hidden delight. Ten minutes ago she was contemplating how big a bastard he might be for endangering Kagome's life, now she was thrilled at the young woman's progress. Kagome's face showed the lingering doubts she had. Sango caught on, calming herself and thinking critically. "I'm not entirely sure really. I imagine you're growing fast right now to catch up... I mean, this just happened last month, and the other you..."

"Was almost four months in. But even so, a human baby wouldn't show like this for for at least another month in." Inuyasha licked his teeth in thought. He hadn't considered that. He had been a little surprised too, but he'd thought that was normal. He didn't really know what was normal for humans, or youkai for that matter, now that he thought about it. He'd never encountered a pregnant youkai before. Not surprising since most species, including humans to some degree, hid away their breeding females to protect them.

He, like Kagome, had thought they would have more time and then the time they'd had they'd wasted here, worrying about her cravings and how quickly everything was happening. _But that's just it, isn't it? Everything's happening so fast. She's right. She's already too far along to go anywhere. It's too dangerous._ Inuyasha waited as the two women got up, Sango helping Kagome to her feet, and headed back into the village. The two split and he followed Kagome at a distance before racing ahead of her to beat her home. He slipped through the door, pretending to have been lounging near the bedroom door waiting for her. "Oh. Inuyasha," she said, smiling lopsidedly at him. The unease had not left her scent nor her demeanor and he rolled to his feet, taking her hands and helping her up the small step. She grinned more genuinely this time, easily allowing him to pull her into his arms.

"Good walk?"

"Yea. Not that it's doing me any good. This isn't just pudge like I thought," she sighed, patting her belly and melting down into one of the tatamis in what was more or less their main living space. He went into the other room to grab a pillow, pulling it behind her back to support it as he took her into his lap. He felt her relax by degrees, her head finally resting back against his shoulder. "Inuyasha? I don't think I'm going to be able to go with you to look for shards. If the baby.."

"Pup..."

"Pup," she agreed with a tiny smile, "keeps growing like this I won't be able to travel at all in only a few more weeks."

He sighed against her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I don't want you traveling at all now, forget a few weeks," he told her resolutely. "I didn't know things would move this quickly. I don't know anything about pups," he whispered.

"Neither do I, not really. We both know this is... unusual. We have to take it as slowly as we can, I suppose." He nodded slightly. "You said you think you know where the other shards are. If you know that, you don't really need me to help you find them."

"I'm not leaving you here alone." She moved to protest. "No. That's final. I'm not going to risk leaving you here unprotected while me and the monk go off on a wild goose chase."

"Shippo could stay here with me, or go with you and I could stay with Kaede-obaachan. Miroku's capable of..." Kagome broke off when she saw the look on Inuyasha's face. He wasn't going to listen to any other ideas. "Fine." He nodded sharply, closing the issue.

...

Growing rounder by the day, Kagome was forced to reduced her walks to a few times a week. Sango came by of her own accord when she had time, mostly because someone had to help her up and down. "I can't believe this. Inuyasha's not a big guy, but I swear this baby makes me think his father must have been a basketball player!" Sango listened to her friend's explanation of the American ball game then laughed at her irritation, unable to help herself. Poor Kagome was as big at two and a half months – six and a half if one wanted to get technical – as most women were at nearly eight and a half. She wasn't showing any signs of stopping either.

Inuyasha looked worried most of the time, which wasn't entirely uncalled for, but Kagome was in good health and fairly mobile despite her size. On days when she wasn't staying in the hut or walking with Sango, he took her home to see her mother. The whole trip was usually a big ordeal, but Kagome insisted that they visit while they still could.

"Has Inuyasha agreed to take you home tomorrow?" The inuhanyou was getting more and more reluctant to take Kagome through the well, nervous about the forces that resided in it and what they were capable of. "He doesn't still think something will take you or the baby, does he?"

Kagome sighed heavily. "I thought I'd convinced him that if I went through the well pregnant at the beginning, there's no way the well could cause me to lose the baby now." Kagome offered up a small prayer to the kami just in case. "I feel like he's worried about something else, but he doesn't want to say so. He agreed to take me this time... but I'm not so sure about next week." Sango nodded silently, musing about what could cause the hanyou's fear if it wasn't for the baby.

What neither woman was aware of was the silver-haired figure that followed them at a discreet distance, listening in on their conversation as usual. He wasn't spying... not really. He was making sure nothing happened to his woman while she enjoyed time with her friend. He had every right to be wherever he wanted and if he heard them by accident, well then it was no fault of his! At least, that's what he hoped to tell Kagome if she ever caught him. He knew the likelihood of that working was nil, but it made him feel better as he trailed them.

Inuyasha didn't like that they were so aware of his fear of the well. He had never been afraid of the rickety old thing in the past, but every time they went through, something felt wrong. He felt like his mind was being plucked like a chicken, little pinpricks of pain all over. He always had a headache afterward, glad to let Kagome stay with her mother for a few days while he camped out in Goshinboku to sleep whatever it was off. The longer between trips through the well, the better. He sometimes lazed in the shade of the tree's branches to get away from the heat of summer, relaxing enough to take off his haori while he lounged. Sometimes he would stay up in Kagome's room to take advantage of the cooling system in the house and listen to her talk to her mother down in the kitchen. Occasionally he got roped into playing a video game with Sota or helping the old man with a shed that he swore he'd helped organize and dust the last time he'd been there.

It didn't seem to matter if he went through minutes later, or days. He could have Kagome with him or go through on his own. Day, night, hanyou, human. Nothing made a difference to the prickling pain that affected him every time he went through the damned well. Inuyasha couldn't help that he felt like the well had it out for him since Kagome seemed to suffer no ill effects at all.

The thing that terrified him more was the fact that on either side of the well, no matter where he slept, he was dreaming vividly of things he didn't remember. He always felt that he was fighting something lurking in his dreams. When he woke feeling exhausted, he didn't remember anything about the dreams other than knowing he'd won a battle somehow, but that the war was far from over. It was a strange sensation that was forcing him to avoid sleeping whenever possible. Being hanyou made that fairly easy, but even he needed sleep sometimes.

Laying beside Kagome at night often made it impossible for him to stay completely awake as well, her scent and warmth lulling him into a doze. At least once he'd woken lashing out at the dream and found he'd almost struck Kagome. He would have stopped sharing the futon with her to keep Kagome safe, but she'd been so hurt that he could even think about letting her sleep alone that he'd relented.

"Kagome know you're spying on her?" Inuyasha jumped slightly at the voice, turning to glare at the kitsune that had caught him by surprise.

"You tell her anything, brat, I swear..."

Shippo waved off his anger. "We're all keeping an eye on her, not just you, baka. She looks like she could pop any day." Shippo seemed uncertain of something, like he wanted to say more, but he didn't, sticking by Inuyasha as the two trailed after the women. "She's pretty big," he said finally in a casual tone.

"That's my mate you're talking about," the hanyou growled. Not that it was untrue, it just wasn't nice to say. Lifting his hands in a conciliatory gesture, Shippo eyed the older hanyou again as though waiting for him to realize something. "What? Alright, she's bigger than she should be, I get it."

"Why do you think that is?" Inuyasha just shrugged and Shippo let it drop. He didn't know why the inuhanyou seemed unaware of what was right under his nose, but he knew something wasn't right. Shippo mused over what it was that was making him nervous about the whole thing. They already knew that this was not the Inuyasha they had all come to know, that he had different memories and experiences... But he should have the same senses, smell and hearing in particular.

...

Inuyasha bolted upright in bed in a sweat, feeling like his head was splitting. He'd been getting headaches like this for days now, even though he hadn't been through the well in over a week, waking him out of a dead sleep. Kagome shifted on the futon beside him, reacting to his distress but not waking fully. "Shh, sleep," he whispered through gritted teeth. Kagome was so exhausted most days that he couldn't bear her losing more sleep over his problem.

He slipped carefully out of bed, going into the other room to sit and try to breathe through the stabbing pain in his skull. Like the last few nights, he tried to reason through the pain. Was it a side effect of the switch? Was it because he hadn't mated with Kagome and his youki was trying to surge forward to force the bond because of the pup? Was it a human illness that had managed to latch onto him despite his youkai blood? Should he stay away from Kagome? None of that made sense. Of course, the fact that his skull was pounding meant not much of anything made sense to him at that moment.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong?" Her soft whisper helped to soothe his pain, her fingertips brushing through his hair only increasing the affect. "Inuyasha, koibito," she breathed, "why didn't you tell me you were getting headaches?" He refrained from shaking his head as that only made things worse. He latched onto the endearment she had murmured to him, holding it close to his heart as he felt like the rest of him was being torn apart. Kagome moved away for a moment, coming back with a roll of herbs in her hand. He heard her struggle to kneel beside him. He was able to focus long enough to help her down before taking the proffered herbs. Chewing them was a bitter experience, but they did help the pain. He let out a tiny sigh, holding Kagome's soft hand in his own.

A flash of light behind his closed eyelids made him flinch. Something more was wrong than just the headache. He was getting memories. Memories that didn't belong to him and certainly not to the other him that had died by Naraku's hand. Kagome in her time in a pair of pajamas with a dog print on them, asleep on her desk. He didn't remember that until now. Other images of time spent with Kagome, their friends and even with her weird friends from the future that he could have sworn he'd only smelled, never seen. This was the other Inuyasha, the one she had known. Something was wrong! "Kagome, his memories are..." He didn't hear her response as a full flood of all the things he'd thought he'd known about himself narrowed to one tiny point.

He was not the Inuyasha he'd thought he was.

He was her Inuyasha. He'd been suppressed this whole time, sleeping in a way, while the "foreign" Inuyasha dominated. That Inuyasha, that reality, had tried to go with Kikyo, leaving Kagome behind. _Why... I wouldn't..._ His awareness was fading. Of course he would have. Kagome had always expected it of him and had been too afraid to love him. He had been lost without that love and he'd thought that going with Kikyo would mean happiness in some form. Being with Kagome in some way. But it was all a lie. He couldn't go with Kikyo because she had to be reincarnated into Kagome eventually. He would be all alone in the afterlife. Midoriko had saved his soul from that fate by uniting him with this Inuyasha. _Take care of her, she needs you to love her more than anything!_ he shouted to the consciousness taking control as he faded. Feeling the acknowledgment from the other him, he was able to fade quietly into darkness. He would be alright. Kagome would be alright. Their pup would be alright.

"Inuyasha!" she was crying softly. Shippo stood in the doorway to the other room, watching them with wide frightened eyes. Inuyasha was clutched in her lap, her tears dripping down the side of his face. "Inuyasha, you can't leave me," she whimpered.

"Hush wench, I'm right here," he rasped in response. He felt like he'd been sleeping for months, which wasn't completely untrue. The other him from the other reality had been much stronger than either he or Midoriko had anticipated. "I'm back, and I'm never leaving again."

Kagome's dark brown eyes shined with tears in the faint moonlight. "Inuyasha?" Her hands hadn't untangled from his hair, but he didn't protest. Feeling the connection with her was a more than welcome anchor for his reality. He had tried to fight his way to her through his other consciousness, but that Inuyasha had clung to the love and warmth the other Kagome had never been able to give him He cocked a tiny grin at her.

"Yea, it's me. Been trying to get back here for months." Her chest rose and fell rapidly with her breaths. Letting her help him into a sitting position, he held her hands in his afterward, not willing to stop touching her yet. She stared down at his hands before looking into his eyes. Inuyasha was able to take her in for himself for the first time since before they'd gone through the well almost three months before. His sensations of her had been muted by the the filter of his other consciousness running things. She was gorgeously pregnant and round, filling out her sleeping yukata just right.

Seeing the kitsune, Inuyasha nodded that he was alright, that he needed time with Kagome. Shippo nodded in understanding before returning to his room. Inuyasha slowly explained to her what had happened. That Midoriko had explained to him what needed to change, that the other Inuyashas' souls would be joining him briefly, that the plan had been that they would fade quickly and he would have learned from their mistakes. When the second consciousness hadn't faded he'd begun to panic but there wasn't anything he could do at first. All his struggles to regain control of his own body were pushed aside. The other Inuyasha had forgotten that he too was dead, had suppressed it in favor of a second chance with the Kagome who loved him more than he could have imagined. He slowly broke down the other Inuyasha's defenses, breaking his way through. "You belong with me, wench, just me," he murmured, leaning forward to nuzzle her cheek.

In the soft moonlight of their hut, he was able to calmly explain what had really happened to the Inuyasha she had been living with for months. "Why didn't the other me stop him? Even if she didn't love him, she couldn't have stood by and watched him..."

"She didn't know he was going to do it. That's why Midoriko tried to warn us... me." He ran a hand roughly over his face. "Going with Kikyo to hell would have pulled her... your... Kagome's..." He struggled with the pronouns trying to describe the awful possibility they hadn't thought of. "Whoever's soul from you and then we all would be dead. Everything would have changed. I might have stayed pinned to that tree forever. You wouldn't have been born to come back to me..." Too many memories were running through his head and he fought to push them away until he could get a handle on himself. At least the headache hadn't lasted.

Kagome felt blown away. While she was happy to have her own Inuyasha back, seemingly just as happy to see her, she couldn't help grieving for the Inuyasha she had been spending the last couple of months with. He had shown her more affection and caring in the short time she had been with him than her Inuyasha had ever been capable of in the years she'd known him. Slowly pulling her hands from where he gripped them, Kagome bit her lip. She couldn't cry now. Getting upset was not an option. Her Inuyasha was back, just like she'd originally wanted. She should be happy. "I'm glad you're alright," she mumbled. Unfortunately she was too ungainly to get up on her own at the moment so she was stuck until she was controlled enough to touch him again without trying to melt into his arms.

Startled when she felt his index finger under her chin, Kagome gasped but lifted her eyes to his. "You don't look that glad," he told her softly. "Why are you so upset?" She tried to shrug off his concern but had to fight back tears instead. "You think I don't feel like he did about you." It wasn't a question. Kagome tried to look away to avoid seeing the truth in his eyes. His finger remained steady, his golden eyes boring into her. "That couldn't be any further from the truth. I spent months trying to get back in control, to be the one holding you," he whispered. He didn't hesitate to show her what else he'd been fighting to be in control of, his lips pressing hers softly. Kagome couldn't help but respond. Recalling what Midoriko had told her, she tried to remember that they were "all her Inuyasha" and that regardless of the memories, their souls were meant for one another.

"You knew everything that was going on," she suddenly gasped, pulling away. He gave her a confused look but nodded. "And you... you aren't mad?"

"Mad? Are you kidding, Kagome?" His incredulous look made her mouth twitch with a smile. "The way I feel about you is no different." Golden eyes softened and one large hand came to rest on her very rounded tummy between them. "These little guys are going to change things, but in a good way. I promise Kagome." The seriousness in his gaze didn't leave room for doubt. He was making sure she understood that he had every intention to follow through on the promises he had made to her almost from the beginning as well as those that the other parts of his soul had made. "I can't believe you're going to have my pups," he breathed in the awed tone she should have expected but still felt overwhelmed by. That he would be so floored by the idea that someone would mother his child pulled at her heart while making her give him a watery smile. His gaze became serious again. "You don't know how long I've wished for this." Voice soft and shaky, Inuyasha tried again to make her understand how much it meant to him. "My whole life I was sure I would die in a battle, at the hands of some youkai, long before I could even think about mating. I never dreamed I would have someone like you to protect. A family to protect." Kagome's tears trailed slowly down her cheeks.

"You deserve a family, Inuyasha."

"I have a family, thanks to you." He leaned forward and kissed her again, relishing the taste of her on his lips. She returned his kiss eagerly, her hands grabbing onto the fabric of his sleeping pants. Inuyasha growled low, but managed to pull himself back. She was near the end of her pregnancy. He couldn't afford to lose control with her. "As soon as the pups are born and you're healed..." He couldn't even finish the thought aloud. Kagome's face flushed, a tiny shy smile on her lips. He wanted to ask her to be his mate right then and there, but he wanted to get her used to the idea of him being himself again before pushing their relationship forward. She wasn't ready yet and they could do nothing until after the pups were born anyway.

Kagome let him carry her back to bed, snuggling into his warmth beside her. She was mostly asleep when she realized what he'd said. "Pups? As in, more than one?" she murmured, drowsy.

"Keh, 'course. Didn't he say anything?" Kagome shook her head softly. "Two, boys." Inuyasha's tone implied he was just as tired. His body had been through a great deal and since the other him had been afraid to sleep while he lurked, waiting for his opportunity to regain control, his body was worn out.

* * *

><p>Just so there are no complaints in this regard: No, I have never had a kid, and yes, most of the things Kagome is feeling constitute stereotypical pregnancy stuff. I'm aware of this, now you're aware of this. Yay, look how aware we all are! Awareness is fun. Now, make yourselves aware of the review button and go for it! Thanks.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Alrighty, so I read recently in another story that, at least in the Warring States period in Japan, twins were seen as bad luck. We saw in the end of the cannon story that Sango and Miroku's first were twins, so I'm going to go with either this is not the case or that at the very least Sango and Miroku don't believe in this idea. Also, as I mentioned right off the bat, this is a divergent plot and so the monk and slayer having trouble starting a family is clearly off-canon. Miroku + Sango = bunnies. Let's all be honest.

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><p>"No wonder you smelled the same. Huh. You sound different. I didn't even realize it until now." The kitsune's musings when they gathered everyone to tell them the next day filled the silence as Miroku and Sango stared almost gape-mouthed. "So you're completely back to normal?"<p>

"Keh." Kagome gave him a look that encouraged him to elaborate. "The other me, both of them, their voices are gone, but their memories are still there. It's... confusing," he admitted.

"Inuyasha, I am amazed you remained so long without succumbing to the other personality." Kagome flinched at Miroku's words, gaining Inuyasha's attention. She hated that they were calling the other Inuyasha a personality, as if he hadn't been real. He had been real to her, he'd cared for her, been there for her. She couldn't so easily forget his easy affection with her once it became clear that he intended to treat her as a proper husband.

Not that she wasn't glad to have her own Inuyasha back, the one she had known all along, the one who had pulled her back through the well the first time. He was less afraid to show his attention to her than he had been in the past, but it was stiff, nervous, as if he didn't know how to do it. He was less open with her than the Inuyasha of the last few months. She knew they had to give it time. Inuyasha was still sorting through the jumbled memories of the other parts of his soul, trying to establish lines in the sand, so to speak, where his memories began and theirs ended. If things were to move forward between them, he had to be sure of his own feelings, not be influenced by the others. "I had something important to get back to." While he might have sounded like he could be talking about their mission, or his body for that matter, Kagome couldn't help the glimmer of hope that he really had been fighting to get back to her.

"How fortuitous for you two. Twins," Sango said brightly. Kagome knew it was too bright, but didn't call attention to it in front of the others. She knew that, despite her support, Sango was still upset that she and Miroku were childless while now she and Inuyasha were expecting two. At least she knew why she felt like she was carrying a baby the size of a beach ball around in her belly. She made a mental note to talk to her friend later when it could be just the two of them. Kagome also made a note to talk to Inuyasha about possibly using his nose to help the couple out. She knew that he was aware of more than he let on, a fact that she'd had to get over very quickly when she knew she'd be traveling with him all over Japan. He'd know when it was best for the other couple to go about their business. Getting the shy hanyou to discuss it with his friend might be another matter entirely, but she could always demand he tell her and she'd relay the information to Sango.

"It will feel more fortuitous after they're born. All I hope is that they're healthy and stop kicking my bladder," Kagome said with a grumble, tossing her friend a soft smile to thank her for her well wishes.

"No one can blame you for that." Sango's own grin cleared some of the tension from her face. The rest of their time was spent with Miroku and Sango questioning the hanyou about how it had felt to be a prisoner in his own body, getting vague answers at best. Kagome tried to add in her perspective from having been possessed and found Inuyasha explaining it hadn't been quite like that. He was aware of everything going on, but it felt like he was sensing and feeling through a thick wall. He could hear and smell and taste but he couldn't really feel much. The other Inuyasha's thoughts had rung clearly in his mind as if he'd been thinking the thoughts himself, but for some reason the Inuyasha in control hadn't been aware of his presence.

That evening Inuyasha tried to make a concentrated effort not to be nervous about climbing into bed with Kagome. He'd been far too exhausted the night before to think much of it, but tonight he was wide awake. "You don't have to if you don't want to," her voice came up behind him. Inuyasha turned from where he was staring at the futon. Kagome's smile was soft but sad. "There's another futon in with Shippo-chan."

"Keh." He helped her down onto the bedding, not wanting her to fall, then knelt beside her for a while. "It's just new," he finally whispered. Kagome nodded but said nothing. Not that he needed her to say anything, her scent was telling enough. She was hurt that he had such a hard time being openly affectionate with her even in the privacy of their own room. He couldn't blame her. He'd been so jealous of the other part of him sleeping beside her, touching her, kissing her. Kagome was his mate, his wife, the mother of his child. At least, his memories told him so. Of course, in his personal reality, they had only kissed a few times, mostly by accident, and had never been able to confess their feelings to one another before. Kagome was his best friend, that had never changed, but now she was so much more. She was his wife, his true love, the mother of his children. In a way, he was glad for the opportunity to know how Kagome felt about him without the daunting prospect of having to admit his feelings aloud, but knew that at some point she was going to need to hear the words from him. "Keh, get over here," he whispered, finally laying down and tugging on the back of her yukata. Kagome rolled over as best she could, a tentative smile on her lips.

His arms around her and her very large tummy between them, Kagome released a tiny sigh of contentment. He was trying. She had been afraid that everything would change completely, that he would revert back to the shy and surly hanyou she'd always known. But he was honestly trying to show her how he felt, that he wanted her near.

The strange sensation of tiny kicking feet made her gasp, still not completely used to it. Inuyasha made a similar sound of surprise, having felt it where he was pressed against her. "My own pups telling me to back off from my wife." Kagome's eyes widened in surprise, taking in the slight curve of his mouth and the light in his golden eyes. She smiled widely as she reached for the hand on her waist to press it more firmly where the babies were kicking. His mirth became awe, his eyes staring down at her stomach. "They've been doing that more the last few weeks."

"Yes. More even since last night," she admitted. Their eyes locked and they shared a look of happiness. "They recognize you." Inuyasha's eyes flitted from the babies to her. The wonder she saw there made her heart feel almost too full of love for this man, this man who never thought he would have friends, a wife, a family. He was gruff about it most of the time because he didn't want to appear too attached, too open to getting hurt. But Kagome knew that it was things like this, things he'd never allowed himself to dream of, that made him the most happy.

"I heard once..." He paused, clearly unsure if he should share the information. Kagome gave him a tiny nod of encouragement. "I heard that pups can hear the outside, that they can hear people talking to them." Kagome's smile grew wide and she nodded enthusiastically.

"They've more or less proven that in my time. A lot of parents play music to their unborn babies, or just talk to them." A light in Inuyasha's eyes made her pause. "Did you want to try?" she whispered, as if making the suggestion quieter would make it easier for him to accept. He hesitated, staring at her stomach with a contemplative twist to his mouth. He seemed to consider it for several moments before slowly moving down her body and pressing an ear to her stomach. She giggled softly as the fur of his ear brushed her. "Sorry, tickles," she said with a smile when he glanced up at her. He grinned back, but was more careful about placing his ear.

Heart beats surrounded his thoughts as he pressed his ear to his wife's belly. Kagome's, strong and calm, and the almost fluttering sound of the two small heartbeats of his pups. Alive, healthy, that was all he could truly hope for when it came to his wife and pups. For now they were all safe, but who knew when that would change. For now they had a home and friends who would stand by them. Pushing aside his paranoid thinking, he listened for any other sounds. Could the pups respond to him in any way if he tried to talk to them? Not likely, but he just didn't know. His mother had told him once that his father talked to him when he was still within her. As a child, the idea had fascinated him, that his father, whom he'd never met, spoke to him before he was even aware. He'd asked what the taiyoukai said, but his mother only smiled and told him that maybe some day he would remember on his own. As he lay there with Kagome, listening to her calm breathing and the heartbeat of their children, he thought he had a pretty good idea.

Growling softly to the pups in the inuyoukai tongue, he told them how pleased he and their mother were that they were strong and healthy. He told them that they were looking forward to their arrival. He smiled as he told them to stop kicking their mother's bladder, that it was uncomfortable for her. He told them that their mother was beautiful and that they were already so lucky to have her. He paused before telling them that he couldn't be more proud to be their father.

"They're quieting down," Kagome whispered. "I think they're focusing on listening to you."

"I don't think they know what I'm telling them." Kagome only gave him a soft smile, motioning for him to come back to her. He gave one last soft growl to the pups before scooting up the futon to hold his wife. She snuggled as best she could into his warmth, her right hand brushing up and down his side as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Inuyasha fought down any arousal at her touch, trying to just take comfort in her presence.

"Yasha?" she murmured drowsily. He hummed to let her know he was listening. "What did you tell them?" He smiled softly down at her nearly sleeping face. Knowing she was barely aware as it was, he softly repeated what he'd told the pups in inuyoukai, translating it so she would understand. The smile on her lips as she finally fell deeply asleep made his own smile broaden.

**...**

"Inuyasha," the whisper didn't register at first. "Inuyasha. I need you to go get Kaede-obaachan." Inuyasha's eyes slid open groggily, staring at Kagome's pinched face for a moment before he realized something was wrong. He hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep!

"Kagome? What hurts?" he questioned her frantically, wanting to touch her but afraid to cause more pain. His hands hovered over her as she breathed heavily, sweat breaking out along her hairline.

Kagome had to take several deep breaths before she was able to respond. "Labor," she whispered, winded from the latest round of contractions. "You need to go get Kaede-obaachan and tell her I'm in labor." The hanyou's eyes widened in a panic and he flew from the futon without another word.

"I'll go, you stay with her!" Shippo called, already almost out the door. It was barely dawn, but there were several people out and about, staring after him with worry in their eyes as he flew toward the old miko's hut, loose red hair streaming behind him like a banner. She was already awake, but clearly not as alert as he needed her to be.

"Kaede-obaachan! The kits are coming," the kitsune told her breathlessly, "Now!" Her one eye widened and she moved faster to gather supplies, sending him to get water at the river and telling him to set it to boil when he returned to Kagome and Inuyasha's home.

"I will meet you there," she told him, surprising him with how fast she was moving at her age. He took off with the buckets she had provided to the river, filling them and making it to the hut just as she was getting ready to enter. "Very good. It needs to boil first, then you both may go." She made her way in, taking in the hut Inuyasha had built for the first time.

Inuyasha had already stoked the fire, ears perked to where Kagome seemed to be resting for the moment. "Go? Go where? I'm not going anywhere," he told her firmly. He set their stock pot on the fire and poured the water Shippo had brought in, taking the towels Kaede offered to soak in the hot water.

"Inuyasha, a birthing room is no place for men," she said gently, not wanting to offend him, but feeling he needed to at least hear the protest. Kaede didn't think he would agree to leave Kagome's side, but she had to say it anyway.

"I don't care about all that traditional shit. Kagome needs me and I ain't going to leave her to do this on her own," he told her firmly, leaving her and Shippo to stare after him as he went back into the bedroom. "Kagome, how you doing?" he whispered, kneeling beside her and helping her sit up when she reached for him. She seemed alright, perhaps a little stiff in her movements, but she wasn't pale or breathing too heavily at the moment.

"I'm alright. They come and go." She looked up at him, studying his face. "You don't have to stay Inuyasha. It's going to be... messy and it could take hours." He was already shaking his head at her words. "I mean it, it could get rough in here."

"Rough? You think I can't handle rough?" he said with a smirk. Kagome grinned a little. She grunted as she moved to stand, grateful for Inuyasha's hands under her elbows. "Should you be standing up?" he asked worriedly.

Nodding, Kagome shuffled out to the main room where Kaede was praying and blessing the house. Shippo had left, making Kagome sigh in relief. She didn't fancy him sitting through what might prove to be a traumatic experience for him. "Kaede-obaachan, thank you for coming so quickly."

"Of course, child. How far apart are your pains?" She glanced at Inuyasha, seeing that he was indeed determined to stay by his wife's side.

"Five to ten minutes still. Some are worse than others." As if to prove her point, she hissed, leaning more heavily on Inuyasha when her knees went weak for a brief moment. The inuhanyou tried not to panic, knowing that this was natural. Pain was part of the birthing process, he wasn't an idiot. That didn't make it any easier to stand by, helping Kagome slowly pace the room with periodic spikes of pain in her scent and face, unable to do anything to ease her suffering. "Stop looking at me like that," she said with a chuckle, startling him. "It hurts, but it's ok. It means we'll finally get to meet them." Her soft smile, the gentle whisper of her words soothed him a great deal and he was able to quirk a little smile at her in return.

The next several hours were nearly excruciating for Inuyasha, and he wasn't the one in labor. His ears remained flattened to his head to try and muffle the sound of Kagome's groans and cries of pain. All he could do was sit by her, hold her hand and softly murmur words of encouragement to her. She told him between contractions that she was alright, a lie he let her tell to help her. He knew the pain was far more than she wanted to let on. His hand might have actually broken by this point were he human. "Kagome-chan, you must push now," came Kaede's calm voice from near Kagome's feet. Kagome grunted but nodded, sitting up some on her elbows. Without any direction from her, Inuyasha slid in behind her back to support her, holding both her hands and allowing her to push, pull and squeeze as needed. "Very good, very good," the old miko encouraged.

Kagome's body was covered in a sheen of sweat as she struggled, her hair sticking to her neck and face. She was breathing harder now than before, a strange pattern to her breaths. It seemed to be helping her concentrate so he didn't ask what it was about, simply trying to hold on as she writhed and cried. "Come on Kagome, you can do this," he murmured in her ear. "You're the strongest woman I know. Two little pups aren't going to stop you, are they?" She actually chuckled at his words, a little smile on her strained mouth. She took a deeper breath and at Kaede's command, pushed again. Inuyasha felt the release in her body almost at the same time that he saw Kaede slip the blanket under and around one squirming, wailing body. Her efficiency as she cleaned the pup amazed him.

"Let him do it, please?" Kagome called from against him. He wasn't sure what she meant until he saw that Kaede was about to cut the cord tying the pup to Kagome. "Leave enough to clamp, alright?" she whispered to him. His eyes grew wide in his face, his jaw dropping slightly. "You can do this. It's... tradition in my time for the father to cut the cord. Please?" He nodded, gently sliding from behind her and taking the pup in one arm and holding the cord in the other. The tiny body trembled slightly in his hold but he knew it was the newness of life and not fear of him that cause it. He rumbled softly to the pup, calming him as he severed his tie to his mother with a claw. Kaede quickly applied what looked like a clothes pin and wrapped the pup up completely so he could be placed in the basket waiting for him.

"The second should come easier, Kagome-chan," Kaede said softly as another contraction seemed to start the process all over again. Inuyasha hesitated to leave the pup but knew that he was safe for now and that Kagome needed him. He resumed his position, feeling how drained she was. Luckily Kaede was correct and the second birth was easier than the first, the second pup quietly entering the world a few minutes later. Kaede brought the pup to him long enough to allow him to cut the cord again and wrapped him up to lay beside his brother. The last of the birthing was almost worse than the pups, but it too was finished quickly, Kagome collapsing back against his chest in pure exhaustion.

"You did really good, Kagome. You did good," he told her, carefully smoothing her hair away from her face and smiling down at her. Her eyes were closed but she was grinning, her breathing calming as they lay there. Kaede finished cleaning up as best she could manage while Inuyasha continued to hold his wife. The elder miko finally returned, hands clean and a smile on her face. She took up one and then the other tiny pup to give to Kagome before going to make the new mother some revitalizing tea.

His arms around her, Inuyasha was able to hold all three of them at the same time. The pups both seemed to be sleeping, their eyes closed, little mouths frowning and moving like tiny grumpy men. A little red still, they were a bit splotchy. As neither Kagome nor Kaede had seemed concerned, he had to assume that was normal for newborns. He'd never seen one himself before. His sons were both dark-haired, abundant tiny curls drying on their scalps. The elder of the two, by minutes, was still grunting and making upset noises as though he didn't want to be there. The second-born seemed to be taking the change in environment a little more stoically.

_Hanyou_, he thought in wonder. The pups were hanyou... or at least had enough youkai blood in them to have ears like his, just like Kagome had hoped they would. Inuyasha stared for a long moment, unsure if he was pleased or terrified.

"They're perfect," Kagome whispered, as though reading his thoughts and reassuring him. But she only had eyes for her sons at the moment. "Look, they're almost identical except for these." She nuzzled her nose against one set of black ears and the other set of silver. "What... what will you name them?" Her question startled him sharply. She was giving the honor of naming them to him? He knew it was traditional for the father to name the children, but he hadn't given it much thought before now. Stupid on his part, now that he thought about it. Of course, he had been busy trying to get his own body back for the last couple of months.

"Would... would it be alright to name one of them after my old man?" Kagome's face split in a wide grin that let him know she loved the idea. He looked between the two pups, the first-born still fussing quietly while the second still had barely made a sound. "Toga," he whispered, tracing a fingertip against the black ear of his first-born. "Kagome? What was your father's name?" He realized he'd never asked her that before. She quirked a little smile at him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Seichi. It doesn't really fit him," she replied, nuzzling the silver ear closest to her. The pup made a soft noise of comfort, clearly recognizing his mother already. "What about... Yoshi?" Inuyasha's nose wrinkled slightly. "No? Alright. Sesshomaru."

"Wench, that ain't funny." She chuckled at his response, obviously not agreeing. "Eiji?" She shook her head. "Hitoshi?" She looked down at their second son, watching his little upturned nose twitching as he tried to scent them.

"Hitoshi. I like it. Let's hope he stays that way or we're going to feel very silly when he's older." Inuyasha grinned, taking in his family. A family. He'd never really allowed himself to even dream of this, but here he was, holding the mother of his pups as well as the tiny bodies of his children.

"Kagome?" She hummed to let him know she was listening. "Thank you. For this... for everything." The young woman tilted her head so she could try to get a look at his face.

"No thanks necessary Inuyasha. I would..." She took a deep breath. "I would do it all over again without hesitation." His heart dropped to his stomach before leaping into his throat as though too excited to be contained by his chest alone. He let his forehead rest against her temple, closing his eyes and slowly breathing with her. _That's what makes it even more special. You don't even think twice about what this could mean for you._ Inuyasha felt Kagome's exhaustion, the weight of her against him too telling. He gently scooted back until she could lie down completely before taking each pup to the basket which would be their bed for the next few hours at least. "Don't let me sleep too long, they'll be hungry," she murmured, eyes barely able to stay open.

"Sleep Kagome, you're going to need your strength."

**...**

Little Hitoshi proved that his name was not given in vain, remaining quiet and calm even as his brother started fussing and squirming to be fed. Toga made sure everyone knew that he was hungry, including Kagome who had been sleeping quite heavily. "Huh? Oh, Inuyasha, bring them here." The hanyou, who had been trying to quiet his squalling child but was clearly unsure how one went about it, reached down as gently as he could to lift Toga out of the basket. Cradling him in one arm, the other hand resting on his little belly to make sure he didn't drop him, he brought him to his mother. Inuyasha grabbed a few extra blankets and his own pillow and helped prop Kagome up so she could hold the pup more easily. "Alright, alright," she murmured to Toga who had stopped crying but was definitely snuffling at her in hopes of food. Inuyasha flinched, turning away when Kagome glanced at him before opening her yukata to bare one breast. "You... you don't have to turn away if you don't want to," she whispered. Inuyasha felt her words like a physical blow.

Not turn away? She didn't mind if he looked at her? Granted she was feeding their child, a completely natural act that he shouldn't feel ashamed to see. It was just...he had never been allowed, nor allowed himself, to see Kagome's body in this way. _Not true, you've been with her, tasted her..._ The memories of the Inuyasha who was the real father of those pups whispered across his mind, his skin, his tongue... No, that wasn't him! But Kagome was offering for him to be a part of this with her. Slowly, to give her time to change her mind, Inuyasha turned back to face her. No longer looking at him, Kagome was focused solely on the tiny form cradled against her, hungrily feeding from her breast. He couldn't really see much with Toga's head in the way, but it was the most beautiful thing Inuyasha could ever remember seeing. This young woman, this young priestess, was cooing and singing to a hanyou infant while she fed him from her very own body. His mate... soon to be mate... His Kagome was meant to be a mother, he could see that without a doubt. It made him glad that somehow, even if it hadn't been him directly, he had been able to give this to her as well.

"You don't have to sit all the way over there," she told him without looking up. Inuyasha hesitated for a just a moment before scooting closer. "I'm surprised he's doing so well. I read that a lot of babies take a while before they get the hang of breast feeding." Inuyasha could only nod a little dumbly. He had a feeling that these two would never have a problem eating. Not if they had appetites like his. "Can you get Hitoshi? He should be almost done," she said, brushing a thumb across Toga's little cheek. Inuyasha nodded, leaning over to pick up his son. Hitoshi's eyes opened for a brief moment as he lifted the warm little bundle and Inuyasha frowned. His eyes were blue. Was that right? He asked Kagome and she just smiled. "Most babies are born with light eyes. They'll change as they grow in the next few weeks. I'm actually really excited to see what color they'll end up. Do you think they'll be like yours?"

"I... I don't know. I guess they could be. They... they have my ears," he whispered the last, staring down at the tiny silver ears on Hitoshi's head, reaching up to brush one with a fingertip. It was still pretty floppy, but it twitched at his touch as if to avoid the tickle. A tiny grin kicked up the corner of Inuyasha's mouth at the familiar reaction. His own ears twitched slightly, a sympathetic response. "I can't believe they're really here, that we're holding them," he whispered, almost more to himself than to Kagome. He felt her hand on his arm. He looked up, blushing slightly.

Kagome smiled at the open look on her hanyou's face, the wonder he felt at seeing and holding their children making his eyes practically glow with the emotion. "What do they smell like?" His head popped up at the question, a confused frown on his face. "You can identify all kinds of people by their scents. Do they smell the same?" He seemed to think about it for a while, helping her switch pups and trying not to blush when she opened her yukata to bare the other breast for Hitoshi. Despite his calm, the pup took to feeding just as enthusiastically as his brother had.

Did they smell the same? Inuyasha tried to focus on each pup individually and found that they did smell a little different. Barely, since they both still smelled so strongly of Kagome, but there was a slight difference. "Not exactly the same. They smell a lot like you still. I can tell they're inuhanyou and that they're mine." He looked down at Toga in his arms who had fallen happily asleep after eating his fill. Just saying that they were his aloud made his heart swell. "I think they'll have to be a little older before they start smelling different enough from each other to tell them apart by scent."

"I wish I could smell things like you do."

Inuyasha chuckled. "No you don't. You'd never want to go home again. All the smells of your time would make your head hurt." Kagome gave him a startled look. "Keh. I'm used to it."

"Why didn't you ever tell me it made you feel that way?" He just shrugged. "I wouldn't have forced you to come with me all those times."

Placing a hand on hers, he gave her a look. "Don't worry about it. I'm gonna have to learn to deal with it somehow if we're gonna live that long." Kagome blinked at him, her mouth falling slowly open in awe. "What? I mean, I don't know how long for sure, but I bet we can make it five-hundred years." She snapped her lips together, a wide smile lighting her mouth.

Hitoshi quietly finished, simply turning his head away when he was done. Kagome pulled him up to her shoulder, gently patting his back like she had Toga, to burp him. Inuyasha was again impressed by how naturally Kagome took to being a mother, as if this was what she was meant to do all along. It seemed to only enforce what Midoriko had tried to explain to him. They were meant to have these pups. He didn't know about the Shikon no Tama, but his world certainly felt more balanced holding his child in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Holy Hiatus Batman! Sorry about that. I'm in school... again. No like, again again. Hm... Well at any rate, I've been insanely busy. I had this done a while ago and just hadn't done the editing necessary. Editing done to the best of my ability and current Finals Week brain capacity!

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><p>"Inuyasha, can you heat that water so I can wash these?" The hanyou wrinkled his nose but complied without any argument. As much as he hated Diaper Hour, as Kagome had jokingly started calling it, it did mean that the pups' diapers would be clean and wouldn't be tinging the air near the house anymore. He just hated the more concentrated stink involved in the cleaning part. Kagome made sure both pups were clean, dry and fed before putting them down for a nap. Toga, still persistent in squalling half the time, always fought being put down, Hitoshi occasionally falling into his brother's spell. With both of them wailing away, Kagome would calmly rock the tiny cradles he and the monk had put together. On small bowed branches, the cradles rocked back and forth fairly easily, making it much less work to rock the pups to sleep.<p>

Once they were out, which didn't take long since they usually tired themselves out with all the carrying on, they began the ritual of taking the diapers downstream of the village, ridding them of any solids, which they buried in the woods, rinsing them out in the river and then bringing them back to the house to boil and then dry. Kagome, with Shippo tagging along for protection, had taken them to the river yesterday, which meant it was his turn. Inuyasha despised his turn. "Water's on," he told her as he prepared himself to take the bundle of dirty diapers from her. She gave him a sympathetic look, making sure the bag they were in was shut tight before handing it over. He shrugged lightly then headed out to get it over with.

Watching her husband go with more than a little pride, Kagome grinned to herself. Even with his Feudal Era mentality, his enhanced hanyou senses and his generally gruff attitude, Inuyasha did all he could to help her with the twins without much complaint. He helped change diapers, he helped with feedings as best he could, he helped put them down for naps. The most wonderful part was how often he got up in the middle of the night with them, not letting her get out of bed unless they were hungry and then he usually brought them to her. Through it all, he truly seemed to enjoy spending time with the pups. Kagome smile turned a little goofy. Her hard-edged, powerful, grumpy inuhanyou had a soft spot for his kids. For their babies.

Glancing over at the sleeping infant hanyou in their cradles, Kagome couldn't help a few tears. They were just so perfect and beautiful. She supposed that could be a biased opinion, but she didn't think so. Sango even commented to her how good-looking they were. At three weeks, they were growing already, quickly in comparison to human babies, but not so quickly that she was concerned.

They were healthy, bright-eyed and alert, with stronger lungs than she had been prepared for. Especially Toga. If he got it in his little mind that he was going to have a good cry, he went for it with all he was. Kagome grinned slightly. All or nothing! More like his father already than the hanyou would want to admit. All it took was for her to pick him up and cradle him against her chest and he would stop, but Kagome knew better than to facilitate the bad behavior, even at three weeks. Her boys were smarter than they probably ought to be and she didn't want them learning bad habits.

"Damn busy down at the river. Good weather has everybody out," Inuyasha complained as he came in. Kagome only grinned at him, taking the diapers from him to lay out in the tub Inuyasha had found for her. He helped her pour the boiling water in as she added some soap, stirring the water some to get the suds going. Once that was done, they both washed up and settled near the table. "How're you feeling?" Inuyasha asked, a quiet frown on his face.

"I'm fine. Still tired sometimes, but that's to be expected." Kagome smiled his way, placing a hand on his knee. "Don't worry so much. You've been doing so much more than I could have asked for." At this statement his frown grew. "Is... is it too much?"

"Too much? Are you kidding Kagome?" he growled. She flinched at his tone and he sighed, taking her hand off his knee and gently threading his fingers through hers. "I wish there was more I could do." Melting at his sincere desire to do all he could, Kagome laughed softly and leaned over to kiss him. The inuhanyou groaned and gathered her into his lap so he could kiss her more thoroughly. When he felt his blood heating, he knew he had to pull away.

"I never would have thought you would be changing diapers and getting up with them at night. I don't know how to thank you for that."

Inuyasha huffed, giving her another quick kiss simply because he couldn't help himself. "You don't have to thank me. All of it has to get done somehow and they aren't just your pups, they're mine too." He could tell by the way her face softened and the corners of her lips quivered in a smile that he'd definitely said the right thing.

"Most fathers don't get that involved until the children are older, even in my era. Some never get involved at all." Kagome pressed her cheek against his shoulder, sighing contentedly.

"Keh. I'm gonna be there every step. When they get big enough, they're probably going to be too much for you to handle on your own anyway, so it's a good thing I'm here to keep them in line."

Kagome giggled slightly. "My big strong hanyou, the disciplinarian." Her smile changed as she turned to look at him, one hand coming up to caress his cheek. "If the last few weeks are any indication, Inuyasha, you're going to be a great dad." The inuhanyou flushed at the praise, ducking his chin and taking advantage of her upturned face to kiss her again. Anything to distract her from making any more mushy, embarrassing statements like those.

Which turned into a bigger distraction than he'd planned on. Kagome's scent changed as fast as lightning, making it clear that the kiss was affecting her too. The scent of her arousal almost made him drunk, his tongue slipping out to encourage her lips apart. She complied with a small groan, the hand on his cheek sliding to the back of his head. A rumble low in his chest apparently excited her more, as she met his tongue with her own and shifted in his lap. "Kagome, " he murmured, pulling away from her sweet mouth as her bottom gently rocked against his growing arousal. He knew that there was something he was supposed to be remembering, something about not kissing Kagome. Her lips found his again and he forgot what it was he was trying to remember.

Knowing he had been intentionally refraining from touching her for well over a month, Kagome rejoiced in his embrace. She had been afraid that he would continue to stay away from her, to not touch her in any way even remotely sexual in nature. She'd even begun to worry that he didn't actually desire her. Inuyasha was loyal and truly kindhearted deep down, so she had never doubted he would do his best to protect and care for her and the pups. But to actually love her as a woman, and not just his best friend and the mother of his children? Clearly he felt more for her than she had hoped for. "I'm not glass, Inuyasha," she purred when he pulled back to nuzzle her neck, gentling his hold on her.

"You're not completely healed yet." He huffed a breath against her skin. "Trust me, the moment your body can handle it, I won't be holding back," he whispered in her ear. Kagome felt a thrill run through her at his promise, a smile growing on her face. "Damn woman, stop smelling so good," he groaned, licking the exposed flesh of her neck and carefully brushing his fangs against her sensitive skin.

A light chuckle bubbled out of her. "I can't help that you like the way I smell," she teased him.

"Like? Try can't get enough of," he growled, pressing his nose into the space just behind her ear. "You drive me crazy, you know that? You always have." About to respond, Kagome snapped her teeth together when a sharp wail cut through the air. Inuyasha sighed, letting her slip off of his lap but motioning for her to stay while he went to check on the twins. As usual, it was Toga who had woken up and let out a cry, waking his brother in turn. Hitoshi's deep violet eyes stared up at him from his cradle, little mouth working as if conveying his exasperation with his brother. "What's all this about, huh?" he said to Toga, lifting the infant out of his cradle and bouncing him softly. "You're waking your brother and upsetting your mom." It took several rounds of the room before he quieted, but eventually Toga groggily stared up at him, golden eyes peeking up from beneath heavy eyelids. "That's better," he said in a hushed tone. Hitoshi had already gone back to sleep and Toga was starting to follow suit. Growling quietly in his chest, Inuyasha continued to pace with his son until he was undeniably asleep.

Kagome smiled at him when he returned, looking up from where she was hanging the clean diapers up to dry. "Inuyasha, could I ask you a favor?" He glanced at her as he came back in from dumping the tub. He grunted an affirmative. "You can smell when... Well when it's best for a woman to conceive, right?" Wishing he'd sat down first, Inuyasha nearly tripped.

"Kagome, it's way too soon... I mean, the pups are barely..." Kagome light laughter cut through his bumbling response. "What's so funny, wench?"

"Not for me." She paused, a thoughtful look on her face. "I suppose eventually, yes, but not now." She then explained that she had been hoping he could help Sango and Miroku who were having difficulty. He'd known as much himself, but he hadn't really wanted to put his nose where it didn't belong. Kagome asked that he just try to be aware and that he could talk to Miroku himself or just tell her and she would talk to Sango so he didn't have to feel embarrassed.

"Keh."

"I'll take that as a yes. You might not realize it now, but you could make a huge difference for them," she whispered, her eyes looking off toward where the twins were sound asleep.

Seeing the the look on her face, the way she felt about their children plain in her gaze, his mouth quirked in a smile. "I think I can imagine," he responded.

**...**

Kagome could not figure out why the twins would not quit screaming. Even Hitoshi wouldn't quiet down. At first she'd thought they were just tired. They hadn't wanted to go down for a nap earlier, they wouldn't eat now and she was getting to her wits' end. Inuyasha was helping with a villager's roof and had been gone most of the afternoon. "Hush now babies, Mommy's here," she murmured, rocking them and staying as close as the cradles would allow. Her arms were too tired to keep trying to carry them with her everywhere. Hearing footsteps, she looked up to find her husband coming in. His ears were laid flat against his head and he was frowning.

"What's all the racket for?"

"I don't know," she replied desperately. "They wouldn't sleep earlier, they're clean, they won't eat and they've both been like this for almost an hour." Inuyasha came closer, nose twitching and his eyes narrowing. "What's wrong?"

"Huh. So that's what it smells like from the outside. Hm." Kagome looked down at her sons and then back at her husband with a confused look. "What? What's wrong?"

"Wrong? Oh. No, nothing's wrong Kagome." She gave him a look that made it clear she thought he was an idiot. Inuyasha grinned. He looked outside for an indication of the time and nodded. "Wait a few minutes and you'll see. They'll probably scream louder though..." Kagome looked out at the retreating sun and made the connection.

"Their human night?" she whispered. Inuyasha nodded. "But it's not the new moon..."

"No. But they were born a month ago today." Kagome's eyes widened and she took in the features of her sons. What would they look like human? Would they look even more identical or would they still have small differences that set them apart? Kagome contemplated something she had never asked Inuyasha.

"Were you born human or hanyou? Do you know?"

Inuyasha jerked at the unexpected question, coming to kneel beside his wife and children. He pulled their slings from beside the cradles, handing one to Kagome and slipping into the other himself. "Pretty sure I was hanyou. My mother mentioned how I was born with silver hair and my ears," he said as he lifted a wailing Hitoshi out of his cradle and tucked him against his chest. He quieted but was still making tiny distressed noises in the back of his throat. Inuyasha growled softly to comfort him. He didn't remember his first human night, obviously, but he remembered the first time he'd been human on his own. He'd been even more terrified than he had been to let Kagome see it the first time. At least when his mother was still alive she could hide him away and he could touch and see her. Once he was on his own he had no one to look after him except himself. _Now Kagome looks after me._

"So the new moon, once a year, is your birthday. Do you know when it is?" Kagome shook her head at herself. How had she never asked him that before? But maybe she had... He'd made a big ruckus about not caring about birthdays and if it was on a human night...

"It's not always on a new moon. It's shifted some. Every few years it is. It's um..." He thought over Kagome's calendar and how it coincided with the date markers in Sengoku Jidai. "July fifteenth, I think?" Kagome grinned wide at him, even as she struggled to get Toga to calm down. He was still clearly upset, sniffling and squealing from time to time. Both parents knew without looking the moment the sun went down. The screams were almost unbearable to their father's sensitive hanyou ears. "Kuso! You weren't kidding about them having strong lungs. We're right here Toshi," he murmured to his son, rocking him gently.

"They can't smell us anymore, can they?"

"No, and they feel different and they can't hear like usual either. They probably can't even see like they usually do. Everything feels wrong." Kagome unwrapped Toga to get a better look at him and gasped. His ears were gone, replaced with tiny human shells. He was wailing so strongly that she couldn't get a look at his eyes, but his hair was the same dark black. Inuyasha did the same, uncovering Hitoshi's head to get a better look at him. "Identical. When they're human they look exactly the same." Kagome looked up and nodded. "Come here, maybe if they're closer to each other and both of us, they'll feel better." She nodded and scooted closer to lean against Inuyasha's side. The twins quieted some, still sniffling and whining.

"Wow. They must be aware of one another more than we thought." Kagome cooed softly to both boys, making them quiet even further. Finally she was able to get a better look at their eyes. "Brown, like mine. I thought for sure they'd look just like you."

Inuyasha huffed at her, but hid a smile at her words. "I can't imagine how the hell my mother handled me all on her own. I mean, she couldn't have known what was happening the first time." His eyes turned thoughtful at he smoothed his thumb over Hitoshi's cheek. "Even if my old man had still been around, he might not have known about a hanyou's human night." Kagome leaned her head against his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "She probably thought something was wrong with me."

"If she thought anything like me, she probably thought she'd done something to hurt you." Inuyasha raised his head and blinked.

"You're probably right. That's exactly what she would have thought." He leaned over nuzzled Kagome's hair. She smiled and raised her head to nuzzle him back. After a few more minutes of cuddling, the twins settled down long enough to eat which put them both out shortly after. "Full stomach and they're knocked out," Inuyasha murmured with a chuckle.

"Hm, sounds like someone I know," Kagome teased playfully.

Inuyasha glanced at her. "Oi, I do not fall asleep when I eat."

"I've seen you pass out at my house after one of Mama's big meals plenty of times."

Harrumphing at her, he belied his irritation by looping his arm around her shoulder. "Your mom probably puts sleeping potions in my food."

Kagome had to swallow a laugh at that, not wanting to wake the boys now that they were finally sleeping. "You take that back. My mother would never poison someone," she giggled softly. Inuyasha grinned down at her, leaning toward her and nuzzling her cheek.

"Make me."

A thrill of excitement tripped down her spine at the purred challenge. Kagome couldn't help wanting to kiss her hanyou solidly on the lips and didn't stop herself when it became apparent he wanted the same thing. "Trust me, as soon as we don't have pups strapped to us all day, everyday... I will." Inuyasha growled at her challenge in return, a smirk pulling at his mouth before he used it to claim hers. They managed to pull away from one another before they got anywhere that might wake the twins. That would have certainly been a mood killer.

Hours later the pups woke in tandem, jolting awake and then letting out piercing wails. Their parents changed diapers, Kagome fed them and the pair burped them before they fell back to sleep. Inuyasha let out a weary sigh. "It's gonna be like this every month for a while," he told his wife.

"I don't know. They're pretty smart already. Maybe they'll start to understand better as they go through it each month." Kagome tossed Inuyasha a smirk. "I mean, you've mostly stopped crying by now, so they will too." Narrowing his eyes at her, he gently nipped her shoulder in retaliation. She squeaked in surprise but giggled a moment later.

The pair stayed up, calming their sons down when they woke from time to time, Kagome nodding off and leaning against Inuyasha's chest. When the sun finally rose, both Toga and Hitoshi woke with a start, about to start screaming again until the return of their baby hanyou senses caught the wail in their throats. Toga continued to hiccup afterward for several minutes and Hitoshi went back to sleep as though nothing happened. Now that they were back to normal and tired or asleep, Kagome and Inuyasha were able to put them in the cradles and lay down themselves for a while. Inuyasha remained awake, but held Kagome while she slept. She'd likely need more sleep so he planned to make her take a nap with the twins. She snuggled closer in her sleep, tucking her nose into his clothing and taking a sniff of him. Inuyasha smiled down at his wife and brought his lips to the crown of her head.

**...**

"Ohayo, Miko-sama, Inuyasha-sama!" Kagome waved, grinning at the villager who had called out to them. Inuyasha tipped his head in the man's direction, adjusting the sling around his chest. Hitoshi grunted at the jostling but made no other protest.

"I would have thought they'd be more nervous being out for the first time," Kagome mused aloud, watching Toga's nose twitch as he remained snuggled tightly against her in his own sling. "You said they already recognize their home scents. Wouldn't all these strange smells upset them?"

"Not since they can see, feel and smell us. If they were further away, like if we tried to set them down while we're at the monk's, they might freak out." Kagome only nodded, keeping pace beside him. He glanced over at her, glad that she was looking so well. The pups were almost six weeks old now and getting bigger all the time. Kagome told him they were about the size of three month old human babies in length and weight but clearly even further ahead in the mental development. They tracked them through a room with their eyes and ears, and had already started calling out to them using inuyoukai sounds for "mother" and "father" It was the closest to language they would likely get for at least a few more months, but Kagome was incredibly impressed. She also hoped that Inuyasha might be able to convey to them something they'd understand about their human night so that they might not scream quite so much next time.

Another villager called out a greeting as they passed. "Good to see you out and about, Miko-sama." Kagome bowed briefly, thanking the woman. Inuyasha loved the way she glowed, carrying their son against her, one arm cradling him close even as the sling did most of the work. She wanted to keep them close as much as they wanted to be close to her. What hit him even more was that the twins seemed to need to be near him too. He understood wanting to be near your mother. There were still moments when he wished he could have even one more heartbeat with his own mother. It had startled him to find that the pups seemed just as upset when he left as when Kagome did.

Hitoshi let out a soft squeak, breaking Inuyasha out of his thoughts. He glanced down at the pup held snug against his chest who seemed to be frowning, for lack of a better description. His little frown morphed into snuffling and tears. Hitoshi almost never cried. Inuyasha stared at him, trying to determine what he was upset about, when a strong and familiar youki brushed against his own. "Shit!" he exclaimed, latching onto Kagome's sleeve and dragging her back toward him. She must have realized the source of the youki as well but she seemed far less concerned. "What the hell does that bastard want?" he snarled. His brother's scent hit him a moment before the youkai himself appeared at the end of the road into town. "Kagome..."

"Just wait. You don't know that he's here to cause trouble." Inuyasha wasn't sure he wanted to take that chance. "I think he came into the village upwind of you on purpose." Kagome remained firm, gently bouncing and patting Toga as he started fussing from the tension in the air.

"This Sesshomaru does not cause trouble," the taiyoukai intoned when he was close enough to do so. Inuyasha stayed prepared to whisk his family away to safety at the first sign of said trouble. The older inuyoukai took in the slings, his nose twitching only slightly. "It has not been long enough since we last met for you to have carried and birthed pups, Miko." He paused looking at his half-brother's tense face. "Yet it is clear that they are not only yours, but the half-breed whelp's as well."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't refer to my husband that way," Kagome replied politely, but the fire in her brown eyes was unmistakeable. Sesshomaru raised one eyebrow at the woman he would never admit aloud was a far more formidable opponent than she appeared. "Especially since your nephews are also hanyou." That surprised the taiyoukai even further. He tilted his head to try to get a better look into one of the slings. "Would you like to see them?" He straightened, portraying indifference he didn't actually feel.

Kagome quirked a small smile, throwing Inuyasha an encouraging look. She pulled back the edge of the sling, slipping a now strangely silent Toga out into her arms. His golden eyes were wide in his little face, dark ears quivering nervously. Inuyasha slowly did the same with Hitoshi, still not comfortable with this situation. He realized as he held his son in his arms that the little hanyou had been aware of the strong youki his brother radiated even before he had been himself. His violet eyes seemed calm, if wary, trying to see the other youkai with his still limited vision. His silver ears swiveled toward Sesshomaru, tilting forward in clear interest. "Inuyasha has Hitoshi," Kagome nodded in their direction. The pup made a small noise of acknowledgment, hearing his mother say his name. "He's very quiet for the most part," she said with a fond smile. "And this little one is..."

"Kagome..." Inuyasha suddenly panicked at the idea of telling his brother he'd named their first-born after their father, a man Sesshomaru held in extremely high esteem aside from his mistake regarding bringing a hanyou into the world.

"Inuyasha," she responded calmly. Clearly she understood exactly what he was concerned with but straightened her spine. Inuyasha took strength from hers and stood up a little taller himself.

"Toga. We named him after the old man." Sesshomaru showed no emotion at the statement, eyes taking in both pups again.

"I see." He paused. "You will explain how it is that they are here in the first place as the miko is still untouched." This brought a flush to both young parents' cheeks, Kagome lowering her head to focus on tucking Toga back into his sling. "Something strange has obviously occurred."

"That isn't any of your business," Inuyasha growled, pulling his sling around Hitoshi and tucking his son against his chest. Sesshomaru shifted his weight slightly and it made Inuyasha tense in anticipation. Until a willowy young woman stepped from behind the stoic taiyoukai. At first he couldn't believe his eyes, then her scent caught his nose and he tilted his head in confusion.

Kagome clearly wasn't so much confused as pleased. "Rin-chan, how are you?"

The young woman dipped a bow to the miko and her lord's younger half-brother. "I am well Kagome-sama. Inuyasha-sama," she greeted the hanyou. She glanced up at Sesshomaru before gracing them with a small smile. Gone was the boisterous and fearless child they had first met several years before. She was still there, in the sparkle in her eyes, but she had become much more reserved. "Congratulations on the birth of your sons." Kagome grinned brightly, dipping her head in thanks.

Inuyasha remained confused as to her presence, and her appearance, but he didn't have time to think about that now. Sesshomaru was still staring at them, expecting answers. Who the hell did he think he was? About to ask that very question, he nearly bit his tongue when Kagome invited the stiff bastard and the kid back to their hut. Throwing her a look that told her she would be explaining herself to him later, he turned on his heel and led the small group back home. Kagome came up beside him and took hold of his hand to slow him down and either take or offer some comfort. "Trust me. He's here for something more than just to check in on you."

Grunting at her, he frowned, but nodded that he both understood and agreed. Clearly his icy brother had something on his mind regarding his ward, who was growing up and turning into a woman. A human woman. A more than vaguely familiar looking human woman. Inuyasha wasn't sure why Rin was still around, but he had to concur with Kagome's observation from several years before that Sesshomaru was changing. He might not have even realized it himself, but he was clearly more tolerant of humans. Willingly or not, he had also seemed to at least acknowledge that while he was hanyou, Inuyasha was still of their father's blood and that made him worthwhile. That didn't mean he actually enjoyed being in his company, but he had sought them out. He must want or need something that he thought they could provide.

Much to his surprise, Sesshomaru not only didn't comment on the size and quality of the hut, he sat down with the rest of them to talk. "Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome demurred after checking the twins' diapers with a touch. "You should listen to the story all the way through before asking any questions. It will seem confusing at first, but it will make sense in the end." He raised one delicate eyebrow but gave no other indication he'd heard. She agreed with Inuyasha to leave the boys in their slings, both for the pups' comfort as well as their father's. He still wasn't convinced that he wouldn't have to scoop them all up and carry them away.

Inuyasha began the telling, explaining as best he could what had occurred in the well and then immediately after they returned. He explained that while ultimately the pups were born of his Kagome's body, they had been conceived by another Inuyasha and Kagome, in another space and time. The hanyou told their "guests" about the souls of the other Inuyashas who now resided in him, blending with his soul and bringing their memories with them.

Then Kagome explained that she hadn't known anything was different, that anything was wrong until almost a month later. How she'd had to tell Inuyasha about the pregnancy that shouldn't be possible. Rin's eyes remained fixed on Kagome through her telling of how the other Inuyasha had taken her into the hut he'd finished, the hut he'd built for her. Kagome glossed over the differences in the two, not wanting to discuss their personal feelings with Inuyasha's brother. Inuyasha tried to make light of his struggle to regain control of his body, but made it clear that he had not been himself for months and was now back in complete control.

Sesshomaru's eyes had not strayed from the twins strapped to their parents' chests, but his eyes finally rose at the end of their telling. "So it was the will of the Shikon no Tama that these pups were born. There has been no sign of control by the jewel?"

"No. In fact..." Kagome took a deep breath. "The jewel disappeared when they were born."

"I would think it did, as all the shards that remained separate have as well." This startled the young miko who had thought she was the one dropping a bombshell.

"Koga-san was in the Western Lands a few days ago," Rin supplied softly. "When I... when Sesshomaru-sama noticed his presence, we investigated. His shards had disappeared several weeks ago. He was... noticeably upset." Rin's correction did not go unnoticed by either the inuhanyou or the miko, but they said nothing. Kagome and Inuyasha could easily imagine how upset the wolf would have been and could even imagine a few of the not so pleasant things he might say.

Inuyasha smirked slightly. "Keh. Bastard blew his top, didn't he?"

"Barely worth noting the heightened youki. However, he was on this Sesshomaru's lands without permission." Sesshomaru glanced at the pups again, apparently coming to some sort of decision. "The wolf was headed in this direction, and it is likely he will arrive soon." This caused both Inuyasha and Kagome to noticeably tense, Toga letting out a squeal. The inuyoukai didn't actually frown, but his demeanor implied he might. "This Sesshomaru came to inquire after what you knew about the jewel's disappearance, Miko. It would seem, however, that it may be necessary to remove the wolf should his presence become dangerous to your pups." Kagome barely managed to keep her jaw from dropping open, Inuyasha a little less successful than his wife.

After a moment of surprised silence, Kagome was able to speak up. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama. We appreciate the offer."

"I can take care of the wolf, especially now that he doesn't have any shards," Inuyasha growled.

"Of that there is no doubt." Sesshomaru finally looked his brother in the eye. "This Sesshomaru thinks it wiser that you remain with your... family." Inuyasha was practically floored by his brother's acknowledgment of his strength. About to say something, the inuhanyou almost swallowed it back when a quiet whine left his son. Hitoshi looked up at him with those violet eyes and Inuyasha knew even before he felt it himself that the wolf was there. "He has arrived."

Even those without the ability to sense youki knew the wolf was there shortly after. He was shouting at the top of his lungs, clearly looking for Kagome. "Why does he always shout instead of using his damn nose?" Inuyasha growled, standing and helping Kagome to her feet. Sesshomaru had already gone to the door while Rin stayed behind. "I'm going with you. Ain't no way I'm letting you fight a battle that's mine to fight." He glanced at Kagome who looked only slightly worried. "I've been trying to convince that mangy wolf for years that Kagome belongs with me."

Sesshomaru paused at the door. "Come. Rin." As if just saying her name was enough, she got up, approaching Inuyasha and holding out her arms. "Miko, you will stay here with Rin and the pups." Inuyasha hesitated for a moment, looking down at Hitoshi and then at Rin. He glanced at Kagome for confirmation before pulling the sling over his head and giving the whole bundle to his brother's ward. The young woman smiled down at the baby, who actually fussed without his brother's instigation. Rin's face fell and she looked to Kagome for help.

"It's alright, Rin-chan. He just doesn't know you." Despite wanting to be there to confront Koga with her husband, she knew the pups had to be her priority. Keeping them safe was the most important thing in the world to them now. "Go on. He's getting closer." Inuyasha took a step toward her, placing a quick kiss on her cheek before following his brother out. Kagome followed them to the doorway, looking after them until she couldn't see them anymore. Toga, who had remained so quiet, suddenly let out a cry, inciting the same reaction in Hitoshi. Poor Rin looked even more panicked and Kagome smiled softly. "Here, we'll put them in their cradles, then we can rock them, alright?" Rin seemed eager to find any way to ease the little hanyou's upset, gently patting Hitoshi's bottom as she followed Kagome into the second bedroom. The two women sat, rocking the babies until they fell into a very fitful sleep. The two talked softly about what Rin had been up to since Kagome had last seen her, waiting for their inuyoukai to return.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone! I've been so busy with school this semester that I have had almost NO time to write for pleasure. Trust me, client reports in English are bad enough. Add several film, one album and a book review in Portuguese and it's a bit much. I finally had some time this weekend and realized I'd written a chapter without meaning to. Funny how that happens! I know it's been a long wait, so I hope you enjoy. Thanks you guys!

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><p>On the other side of the village, Inuyasha was shaking his head in aggravation. "Look Koga, we're not gonna let you anywhere near her."<p>

"You can't stop me from seeing my woman!" he snarled again, further encouraging the twitch in Inuyasha's eye. "What have you done to her, mutt? Why won't she come see me? Did you tie her up?" He tried to look around the two silver-haired males blocking his path. "Kagome! Kagome, I came to see you," he called.

"Wolf, desist in this infantile behavior."

"Who asked you, dog-breath?" Koga sneered. Both Inuyasha and Koga flinched slightly at the sharp rise in Sesshomaru's youki. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you hated the half-breed mutt as much as I do." He eyed Inuyasha this time. "Letting your big brother fight your battles for you, huh? Pathetic." This time it was only Koga who flinched when Inuyasha's youki rose as well.

The inuhanyou scoffed, shifting his weight into a more casual stance. He had no fear when it came to fighting the wolf, never had, but now that the flea bag didn't have shards, he knew there was no comparison. "He came by to ask about the jewel, same as you."

"Indeed." Sesshomaru glanced briefly at Inuyasha before speaking again. "As well as to bring gifts for my new nephews." Inuyasha's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but the change in his scent was evident to both youkai. Surprised, Inuyasha tried to school his face back into nonchalance. The wolf choked, a wild look suddenly appearing in his eyes. "You were not aware that my sister-in-law had twin pups," he stated with a slightly evil edge in his eyes. The wild look in Koga's became almost feral in response.

"Sister-in-law? Did you find another wench?" Both brothers raised an eyebrow at such a ridiculous idea. "Kagome? Twins? Kagome had cubs? Impossible!" the ookami youkai sputtered furiously. He bared his teeth at Inuyasha. "Impossible. I saw her less than six months ago and she was still unclaimed. There's no way."

"Well it's true, Koga-kun." All three males turned their heads at once, gaping openly at the young miko approaching them with one infant in the sling against her chest and the other held securely in her arms. "Here they are. My sons. Inuyasha's sons. Our pups."

"Kagome!"

"It's alright Inuyasha." She tossed him a steely eyed look that told him she had a plan. Koga took a few steps toward her, freezing upon seeing a dark-haired, dark-eared hanyou infant in his Kagome's arms. Another dark head with silver ears peeked from under the sling. "What do you want Koga-kun? The jewel is gone. There are no shards left."

"Those can't be your cubs, Kagome. They... they can't be." Her face, which had remained open and pleasant, darkened. Koga knew that look. He usually saw it directed at the mutt when he had said or done something thoughtless. "But there hasn't been enough time. You're... you're untouched," he murmured when his nose took her in more thoroughly. "How can the pups be yours when you haven't been claimed?" he called, taking a few steps closer to her. Both silver-haired males stepped toward him to block him off, a growl vibrating the air between them.

"It's alright. The closer he is the better he can smell the pups." Koga frowned at her easy attitude. Usually Kagome was uncomfortable with him around Inuyasha because she didn't want to hurt the mutt's feelings by showing him affection. Now she was calm, confident, a completely different Kagome than Koga was used to seeing and she made no move to come closer to him now that she was in scent range. Even Inuyasha seemed different, aside from being buddy buddy with his brother. He was reacting to Koga like he was an annoyance, not a threat. "Go on Koga-kun, what do you smell?"

Inuyasha watched his wife out of the corner of his eye, trying to figure out her plan. She would never risk the pups like this so she had to have a set plan she knew couldn't fail if the wolf attacked. There was something she was trying to say, a point she was trying to make. "They smell like the mutt... and you," he conceded reluctantly, peeking around the two inuyoukai at her and the bundles she carried. "But it's impossible," he stated again.

"Obviously not impossible, they're right here. Call it a miracle if you want to." Koga snarled at the word, obviously not wanting to admit fate would take "his Kagome" from him and place her in the hands of Inuyasha.

"They're half-breeds," he growled with a grin, clearly thinking he'd caught them in their lie. "The mutt's a half-breed himself, they couldn't be..."

Sesshomaru made a soft noise, interrupting Koga and catching all of their attention. "Obviously that means his youki is strong enough to father hanyou pups." Again Inuyasha fought to hide his surprise at his brother's words.

Koga snarled furiously, not missing the slight on the strength of his own youki. He pressed forward, still fast despite his lack of shards. Before Inuyasha could do anything, Kagome shouted for the wolf to stop. "I don't want to kill you, Koga-kun!" That caught the wolf prince's attention and he skidded to a stop just a few feet from Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. It was then that they all noticed the very solid barrier that had risen to surround Kagome and the pups. Inuyasha settled back with a smug grin. _That's my clever, clever Kagome_. "I will protect what is mine and that means my children, my husband and his brother if necessary." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at being included in her circle of protection, but said nothing to deny the offer.

"Husband?" Koga replied weakly. He might have been reckless, but he wasn't stupid. He knew the barrier that she had erected was not only impervious to him, but would purify him in a heartbeat. He didn't fancy the idea of losing a limb to her purifying energy, if it didn't kill him outright. "So you've chosen to be with the hanyou then," he snarled with even more than the usual bite. "You choose to stay with a weak half-breed mutt..."

"Enough Koga," she shouted, dropping the friendly address. "I will not hear anyone speak of my husband or my children that way. Keep it up and you will answer to me." Her dark eyes were hard and unyielding and Inuyasha swore he saw a silver glint in them. "There was never a choice to be made. My place has always been with Inuyasha and always will be." Inuyasha finally allowed his youki to flare, its energy sparking against Kagome's barrier for barely a moment. Koga jumped back and away from the trio. "And Inuyasha is anything but weak." Blue eyes wide, the wolf looked between Kagome and Inuyasha. "I would like for us to remain allies, Koga-kun, but if you cannot be civil, then I will ask you not to return here."

"Fine. Throw your life away on this sorry excuse for a demon." His scowl turned vicious. "And you were only good for detecting jewel shards anyway. Now that it's gone..." He shrugged, turning away. He tossed a wave over his shoulder and headed out of town at approximately the speed of a tornado.

The two brothers watched him go, making sure he was truly gone before turning to the miko behind them. Kagome had a wane smile on her face as she dropped her barrier. She wavered where she stood and Inuyasha rushed to brace her up. "Baka! Using your energy just to show off to the mangy wolf." He held her close, careful of the pups between them. "I can't believe you took a stupid risk like that. It was dangerous," he scolded fondly. He took Toga from her arms, holding him against his chest with one arm and holding onto Kagome with the other.

"Miko, your power and control have grown considerably. You did not injure the pups."

Kagome tossed the taiyoukai a grin. "Barrier starts around me, not from within me. Plus, I was able to create a barrier safely before they were born without harming them. I had to assume they would be fine." She turned her eyes back to her husband. "The only way he would know they were real and really ours was to see and smell them for himself."

"Clever," Sesshomaru said, unknowingly voicing Inuyasha's thoughts from earlier. He was surprised at Kagome's understanding of a canine youkai's dependence on scents. Inuyasha must have explained it to her when discussing their pups and their need for their mother's scent nearby. "Let us return to your home."

The taiyoukai strode off eagerly in the direction of their hut. "I think something's going on with him and Rin-chan," Kagome breathed below a whisper. She had to hope that her brother-in-law was far enough ahead of them that only Inuyasha had heard her. Inuyasha looked down at her in surprise and then after his brother. He gave a curt nod to acknowledge what she'd said, but decided not to risk voicing his opinion. They could see as Sesshomaru approached their home that Rin was eagerly waiting for them at the door. Of course, her eyes were only for her lord. Inuyasha was struck suddenly with the familiarity of the look. Kagome had given him exactly that face so many times before and he never truly realized how much she cared about him until it was almost too late.

"Damn. She looks..."

"Don't. You don't want her to become obsessed with it, do you?" Kagome murmured. He glanced over at her and blinked. Had... had Kagome thought so much about the similarities between herself and Kikyo? _Did I make her think about it so much?_ Inuyasha cringed at the thought. He knew he'd made a lot of mistakes when dealing with his past and his future staring each other in the face. "We can't be the same," Kagome said after a moment. "Twin souls maybe, but not the same." She was looking down at Hitoshi strapped to her then over at Toga.

"Why do you say that?"

Kagome's mouth kicked up in a small smile. "Because we can't be sisters-in-law if we're the same soul." Inuyasha gaped after her as she walked ahead of him until Toga let out a noise that let him know he didn't like being so far from his mother. Inuyasha didn't like being very far from Toga's mother either. He smiled and caught up with her, the two of them entering their hut together. Sesshomaru had been explaining to Rin what Kagome had done when they entered, falling silent. The taiyoukai looked up at Kagome, narrowing his eyes a moment and giving an almost imperceptible nod. Inuyasha stared at his brother in silence. So he'd heard. Kagome probably intentionally said what she did, when she did, so that only the inuyoukai would hear her. Inuyasha grunted and shook his head. His wife was perhaps too clever.

"You were alright, Rin-chan?" she asked as she and Inuyasha returned the twins to their cradles. The pair were unsure at first, tiny ears twitching and little noses quivering, but now that Inuyasha and Kagome felt more at ease they were able to calm down. Kagome knew she'd have to feed them again soon, but she wasn't about to feed them in front of Rin and Sesshomaru.

"Yes, Kagome-sama. Your home is very nice." Inuyasha smirked at the praise, feeling proud and rightly so. "I could feel when you raised the barrier. You were not in very much danger, were you?" Kagome smiled and shook off the girl's concern. "That is good. Not that Sesshomaru-sama would have let Koga-san get too close." Kagome bit her lip to hold in a smile at Rin's easy praise and confidence in the stoic taiyoukai. _Was I ever that eager and in love? Certainly not when I was that young..._ But as she thought about it, Rin was only a year younger than she herself had been when she came through the well. She could recall enough moments when she had blindly followed Inuyasha without a doubt in her mind that he would protect her. And that was ages before she realized she loved him. Glancing at her hanyou, she noticed a slightly perturbed look on his face, as though confused by Rin's manner with his brother. _I'll explain it to him later_. Surely he didn't think she was the only one in all of time other than his mother who could see past the lines drawn between youkai and ningen?

"It would appear you have visitors."

"Kagome-chan, what..." Sango paused, breathless, in the doorway, Miroku less than a step behind her and Shippo hurrying up behind him. "Sesshomaru," she gasped, finishing uncertainly with, "Sama..."

"Uh... Sesshomaru-sama, how pleasant to see you once more. We are sorry to... interrupt your visit with Inuyasha and Kagome-sama." The monk tossed the inuhanyou a look hoping for an explanation as to why he was sitting so calmly with his older half-brother in his home like it was a normal occurrence. "We were not in the village until a short time ago and the villagers told us Koga was here."

"Keh. The jewel disappeared everywhere, not just here. The wolf came sniffing after it and Kagome. We," he paused, "Well, Kagome actually, sent him on his way."

Ever the diplomat and hostess, Kagome smiled at her friends and motioned for them to come in and make themselves comfortable. "We were on our way over to visit with the twins when Sesshomaru-sama and Rin-chan arrived." Sango nodded slowly, glancing over at her husband and then the kitsune behind them. Shippo nudged the others forward, encouraging them to sit beside Kagome near the twins while he took up the position between Inuyasha and his brother. Sesshomaru eyed Shippo for several moments as though he didn't recognize him.

"The kitsune?"

"Shippo. You tried to burn off my tail once," the red-headed fox bit out, said tail puffing up behind him a little. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and looked him over once more.

"You were much smaller then," he replied, as if that explained everything. Inuyasha was the one to bite his lip this time to keep from laughing. Shippo was bristling in indignation while the inuyoukai seemed completely unfazed. Of course, "unfazed" was Sesshomaru's general state of existence. "Monk, Slayer," he greeted the others with a brief glance in their direction. Neither one tried to correct him with their names.

"You're looking well Rin-chan. You've grown since we last saw you," Sango said with a warm smile after a short glance at Kagome.

Rin blushed at the praise and bowed her head. "Thank you Mistress Tajiya."

"Please, call me Sango." Again Rin seemed inordinately pleased by the idea.

"Thank you Sango-san." The young woman glanced at her lord and fell silent again, clearly feeling nervous for some reason.

After several moments of awkward silence, Sesshomaru finally spoke again. "There was another reason for this visit." Inuyasha's ears perked at his brother's words, now nervous again that his full youkai sibling was up to no good. "It is this Sesshomaru's wish that Rin be trained in her... miko abilities." Inuyasha glanced at Kagome and caught a slightly skeptical look on her face.

"You would want her to have the capabilities that come along with that?" she spoke up after a breath. Sesshomaru only gave a curt nod in response. "I'm sorry my lord, but that doesn't make much sense. I can't imagine that the other youkai under your leadership would approve of a miko under your roof." The inuyoukai's lip curled almost imperceptibly in irritation.

"She will remain here until she is strong enough to defend herself." His golden eyes turned to the tajiya, freezing poor Sango under their intense scrutiny. "Hand to hand combat training would be to her benefit as well." Sango glanced at her husband who could only shrug lightly.

"I would be honored to train you, Rin-chan."

The young woman had remained completely silent through this exchange and Kagome saw in her downcast face that she hadn't known about this plan. "Rin-chan, is that what you want?" she asked softly, gently rocking the cradles beside her to encourage the twins to sleep.

Rin clearly looked to her lord for some indication before looking down at her lap again. "If Lord Sesshomaru wishes for me to participate in the training, then I will do it."

Kagome gave her brother-in-law a hard look to which he raised an eyebrow. "It is for her own safety that the training is necessary," he admitted after a beat. "There are those in my court that do not agree with a spiritually powerful human living within this Sesshomaru's walls." It was clear by his tone that "not agree" was an understatement. "It has also come to my attention that, untrained, her power may manifest itself regardless and she would be unable to control it. If this were the case, she may actually be a danger to others and herself." Rin's eyes turned sharply to her lord, her face going slightly ashen. No one could mistake the thought that had obviously occurred to her. If she were unable to control her spiritual power, she may hurt or kill the youkai she clearly adored.

"Kagome-sama, please. May we begin tomorrow?" she gasped, her large brown eyes turning Kagome's way this time. Even if she had been disinclined to help, there was no way she could have denied the girl anything with a look like that. Glancing down at her boys and then up at her husband, she tried to think of the best way to go about training Rin and still care for her family.

"It may be prudent for you to begin basic training with Kaede-sama and myself before learning some of the more intensive techniques with Kagome-sama," Miroku broke in. "Kaede is a very capable instructor," he assured both Rin and Sesshomaru.

Smiling at the thoughtful interjection from her friend, Kagome nodded. "Miroku's right. She taught me the fundamentals before I began figuring some things out on my own. If it's controlling your energy that is the most important part, Miroku and Kaede-obaachan are your best bet." Rin's smile was a little watery with gratitude and barely suppressed tears. She bowed her head in thanks several times.

"We can begin physical training in a few days," Sango added. "Or whenever you return... You'll need to go back for your things, won't you?" This focused everyone's attention on the silent youkai lord. His amber eyes were trained on his ward, something strange in his gaze.

Inuyasha could tell that his brother had just come to the realization that he would have to leave Rin with them for some time. The inuhanyou knew that if it were him leaving Kagome behind, there would be no way he could do it. "She will be safe here. She can stay with us or with the old woman." Sesshomaru's eyes flicked to his younger sibling for barely a moment before returning to Rin. "You got subjects to rule," he reminded him in a low voice, "and they'll make trouble if you're gone too long." Rin was equally focused on the inuyoukai at her side, now too understanding that it would mean time apart for them.

Sesshomaru finally pulled his eyes away from her and stared first his brother and then, surprisingly, the kitsune down. "You are charged with her safety. If anything should happen to her..."

Shippo piped up immediately. "Don't worry, Inuyasha and I are really good at this kind of thing," he said with a small smirk. "There's no way Kagome would still be here if we weren't." Kagome let out an offended squeak, but then she couldn't help laughing a little. Unfortunately, her adopted son was right. She couldn't count all the times she'd been in, or stupidly put herself in, danger and her friends had come to her rescue.

"To fail would mean your death," was the taiyoukai's low response.

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><p>"They got back here pretty fast," Kagome commented as she and Inuyasha gave Rin and Sesshomaru the privacy to say their goodbyes. Kagome couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was obvious that Rin was desperately trying not to cry while Sesshomaru was stiffly trying to offer her comfort and reassurance without openly embracing her. The miko sighed, bouncing the infant in her arms a moment. "She's going to be a mess for a few days. We should probably let her settle in before she starts any training."<p>

"He's coming back in a week," Inuyasha said with an exasperated sigh. "It's not like she's never gonna see him again."

Kagome rolled her eyes at her husband's dismissive attitude. "If you were leaving me for a whole week, I'd be pretty broken up about it too."

"Keh. That's different. You're my mate," he said, as if that made all the difference in the world. He frowned a second later, glancing over to see the slightly startled look on Kagome's face. "Or you will be anyway. At some point. You know, soon." The inuhanyou scratched the back of his neck a little uncomfortably. He still hadn't had an opportunity to really talk to Kagome about what it meant for them to become mated. They needed to talk about it soon because he knew that she was getting closer to being more or less back to normal and their stolen moments together were getting heavier every time.

Kagome shook him from his heated thoughts by clearing her throat. "At any rate, the separation will be hard for both of them. She's been with him for a long time." She nudged her hanyou with her shoulder. "Sound familiar?"

"Keh." Kagome laughed softly. Changing her focus, she cooed down at Toga in her arms, gently nuzzling his nose. A soft burble came out of him that made her raise her head in question. He was smiling at her with that adorably toothless, wide open smile that babies have. Leaning down, she repeated the nuzzle and almost jumped when her son let out a long squeal of laughter. She looked to Inuyasha, who was staring agape at Toga. "Did he just... Was that..." Both of them grinned in delight. That was the first time either one of the twins had laughed. Kagome teared up slightly, not even sure why. "Oi, none of that," Inuyasha murmured, gathering her close with the arm not cradling Hitoshi to his chest.

"Sorry, I don't know why I'm so emotional. I thought I was over that part," she tried to joke.

"Don't know why you thought that. You've always been crazy," he murmured affectionately. Kagome gently nudged him in the ribs. After a moment of close silence, he huffed out a breath. "I couldn't do it." Kagome glanced up at him in confusion. "Leave you for even a week. Being separated from you by... by the other me for months was torture." His soft admission brought more tears to her eyes and Kagome tilted her face so she could gently nuzzle his chin. Another sigh left the inuhanyou and he dipped his mouth to hers, lingering for just a moment shy of what his control could handle. "Once the pups are down for the night, we need to talk."

"Ominous," Kagome breathed out in what she hoped was a joking tone, despite the churning in her gut at the serious note in his voice. The pair separated to a more publicly appropriate distance as Rin made her way toward them, Sesshomaru still standing off in the distance. Kagome gave the young woman a small encouraging smile, knowing what the girl must be going through. "Come on Rin-chan. Do you want to help me give the boys a bath? Maybe we'll get a giggle out of one of them again." The round, watery brown eyes lifted to hers in wonder before glancing at the pups.

"I... I would like that. Thank you, Kagome-sama." Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Not wanting the girl to keep moping, he growled something comforting to Hitoshi as he handed his second-born over to the young miko-in-training. "Oh. Hello little one," she breathed, cradling him close. Hitoshi didn't cry out this time, staring up at her with a look that would have scrutinized if he didn't have to blink so many times. A tiny smile grew on Rin's face and Inuyasha grunted, satisfied that he'd averted a small disaster. He watched the two mikos walk back to their home and then turned to find his brother still standing in the path.

Inuyasha made his way over and stood at his brother's side in silence for a moment. "It's gonna be tough, but you'll get through it. Like you said, it's for her own protection."

"This Sesshomaru does not know what you are babbling about, hanyou."

Inuyasha only shook his head and tried to hide a grin. Covering a softer emotion with anger. Familiar. "Don't worry about her forgetting you either. I don't understand why she's into such a stiff bastard as you, but she's definitely not letting you go without a fight." Barely avoiding the fist that swung at his face, Inuyasha laughed. "See you in a week, Fluffy!" Inuyasha took the moment of surprise on his brother's face as his escape and leaped away toward home. He smirked as he felt Sesshomaru gather his youki and fly off on his little cloud of energy.

* * *

><p>"No, really, it's alright Kagome-sama. I think it better that I stay with Kaede-san for a little while." Kagome held back a frown. Rin had not unpacked any of her things and was insisting that she stay with the older miko.<p>

"We have the spare..."

"Kagome, drop it." Inuyasha's gruff tone startled her enough that she did, sighing and going in to sit with the twins while they napped and Inuyasha carried Rin's things over to Kaede's. The young woman's mopey attitude the whole way over made him scowl. "She just worries about you, kid. She's like that."

Rin nodded slowly. "Sesshomaru-sama explained that you and Kagome-sama needed your hut to yourselves for a while and that he would make other arrangements when he was able to return." Inuyasha scoffed, turning his face away to hide his blush. So it was obvious to his brother that he and Kagome had things to figure out and that having Rin around would make that difficult. Not that he didn't appreciate the thought, he just didn't like that his brother was considering their private affairs. "Inuyasha-sama?"

"You don't need the lord crap, kid." Rin bowed her head in thought for a moment, slowing her walking pace until Inuyasha had to stop or leave her behind. "What is it?"

"Has Kagome-sama ever hurt you with her energy?"

"Keh. No." The young woman chewed her lip anxiously. "She didn't have control of her powers at first either. It took time. She didn't have all the help you'll have." He took a breath. "Kagome never wanted to hurt me, so she didn't. I'm sure, if she'd wanted to, she could have." Rin's large dark eyes lifted to his face, again startling Inuyasha with how much she looked like his wife had when they'd first met. It was more a similarity, rather than a twin face, and he wondered how he could ever have mistaken Kagome for Kikyo. Rin looked more like Kikyo than Kagome ever had and even she was distinct enough for the similarities to be almost unimportant. _Twin souls, not the same one._ Kagome was right. There was no way they were the same soul. Connected, related, but not the same. "You'll learn that your energy obeys your heart more than you would think," he said aloud, not realizing how true it was until it came out of his mouth. His own youki was like that too. Rising to the surface to protect him so he could protect Kagome, fading when he risked hurting her.

Rin seemed relieved by his answer and hurried to catch up to him on the path. Again he was baffled by the true care she held for his brother and that the frigid bastard seemed equally attached to her. He could have simply allowed her to die years before or have left her in a human village once she was speaking. Instead he'd kept her close, rarely leaving her side. He felt a twinge of old buried hurt. His brother had never shown him the same courtesy and they were family. _You didn't even know what family really meant until Kagome showed up_, he reminded himself.

After he dropped Rin off with Kaede, he really thought about what family meant to him now. With Toga and Hitoshi, he understood responsibility, the feeling of being needed by someone else even more than anything he'd ever felt with Kagome before now. She needed him too, just in a very different way than his tiny sons did. They were too young to know love, but they understood the basics of Pack dynamics and that included receiving affection, comfort and food. Kagome was a different story. She didn't demand anything of him, constantly thanked him for providing for them and helping as much as he did. She didn't understand Pack, he realized. She was judging him by strictly human standards and he was far exceeding them. He smirked to himself as the hut came into view.

The smirk dropped off his face when he caught the sound of a whimpering infant. He was inside in a flash, his eyes darting around for trouble and his nose taking in any scents available to him. Kagome was nowhere to be seen and he panicked. "Kagome!" he called, finding both the boys in their cradles in the bedroom where they should be. Nothing was out of place except that Kagome was not there either. "Kagome!" Again no response. He sniffed again and very faintly caught the scent of her blood. He practically tore the door off the bathroom and found her laying on the floor. He sucked in a breath at the same time he scurried to her. "Kagome? Kagome, wake up!" He rolled her carefully to her side, immediately spotting the bruise and lump on her forehead. From how and where she was laying it was clear she'd hit her head on the side of the tub. "Kagome, wake up. Do you hear me?" A groan was her only response at first and he let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. As gently as he could manage, he cradled her into his arms and lifted her. She groaned again, her eyelids fluttering as he rolled out the futon with his foot and put her down.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered, her tone confused.

"Kagome," he whimpered. "What happened?"

For a moment her eyes narrowed and he thought she was upset with him until he realized she was trying to remember. "I... I was in the bathroom, washing up after I fed and changed the boys. Then..." She paused, clearly trying to piece together her memories. "They were asleep," she said distractedly, trying to look over to their cradles but wincing at the movement. "I guess I must have fainted."

"Kagome, did you drink enough water before you fed them?" he asked gently. "Have you eaten?" Kagome was not usually this forgetful. She was the one who made sure he knew all the things she needed to be doing to keep herself healthy and able to keep breastfeeding the twins as long as possible. She gingerly pressed a finger against her head, hissing at the pain.

"Owww," she whined. Inuyasha slowly helped her sit up, making sure nothing else hurt while he was at it. "Are the boys ok?" Leaving her once she was stable enough to stay upright on her own, Inuyasha went to the closest cradle and blinked several times. Silver hair, silver ears. The baby in the crib blinked up at him with golden eyes. Inuyasha looked into the the other cradle and found the same aside from the violet eyes looking back with a slightly too wise look about them. "Inuyasha, what's wrong? Are they ok?" Inuyasha stopped her before she could crawl over to him. Taking a deep sniff over each of them, he confirmed what he'd already guessed.

"They're almost fully youkai."

"What?" Kagome breathed, ignoring his motion to stay back. "They... What happened to them? Are they ok? What..." She was behind him almost immediately, grasping his shoulder tightly.

Inuyasha reached into the closest cradle, holding Toga up so they could better inspect him. He made curious burbles and wuffing noises at them, clearly unaware of what they were staring at. "He looks identical to you." Without a word, he set their first-born in Kagome's arms and took Hitoshi from where he was chewing his fist. As they had both suspected a few times before, he seemed more aware of their emotions than his brother and was anxious in reaction to their anxiety.

Much like Toga, Hitoshi looked exactly like him aside from the color of his eyes. Both pups were quieter and more aware than usual, something that confused Inuyasha. When woken from sleeping, the boys were usually groggy and cranky for a while afterward, but they were both staring at their parents as if totally aware and waiting for something. Inuyasha's brows dropped and he gently expanded his youki, sensing how it interacted with the youki of the boys. Both of their energies bowed under his, acknowledging his dominance but accepting it with the normal affection of pups greeting their father. The auras felt familiar, but distinctly stronger than before. Through the interaction he could also feel their worry for their mother. They knew something had gone wrong and they knew it was because of them. "They didn't mean to, but I think they drew energy from you somehow while they were feeding."

Kagome looked up from Toga's slightly pinched face and raised an eyebrow at her husband. "But I'm not youkai, how would drawing energy from me make them more... youkai than before? If anything it should have..." She found she couldn't even admit that her energy could have purified her sons, harmed them in any way.

The inuhanyou didn't want to say it, didn't want to acknowledge it, but there was no denying that it was likely. "The jewel must have something to do with it." The way Kagome's face went ashen at the words made him scoop Hitoshi against his chest and put his other arm around her shoulders. "It was inside you a long time, Kagome," he reminded her gently. "It's part of what makes you such a strong miko. Maybe you absorbed some of the youki from it too."

"Can't that thing just be gone and leave us alone?" she whimpered, burying her face in his shoulder. He held her close, rumbling softly to calm his family. Despite their worry over the side-effects that increasing their youki might have on their sons, the young parents had to admit that nothing seemed to actually be wrong with them.


	7. Chapter 7

Well hello my friends! Been quite a while! For those that may have missed it, I started grad school this past fall. Busy is not only a four letter word, it's apparently a way of life I never want to experience again. Only a year left. *SIGH*

I'm also getting married in a month… Soooooo no pressure or anything. lol.

Here is the long-awaited 7th chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I definitely do not own nor profit from anything to do with Inuyasha. I'm lucky I can feed myself each week… when I remember to eat that is.

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><p>Despite the excitement earlier in the day, Inuyasha stuck to his resolve about talking to Kagome that night. If he waited any longer, mistakes might be made. Not that the progression of their relationship would be a mistake. He just knew there were certain rules he had to follow to make sure Kagome's life was bound to his so he wouldn't lose her in fifty or so years. He had told her the truth when he hoped that they would be able to last long enough to necessitate adapting to her time. He knew he was likely to live much longer than a human. And he would never think to be as reckless in battle as he had been in the past with the boys and Kagome to protect, relying on him to care for them. On the other hand, he was only half youkai, there was no telling what his life-span might actually be.<p>

"What do you need me to do?" Kagome asked with muted eagerness. She was nervous, but not about the part that Inuyasha feared. She had no qualms about tying them together, life and soul. It was the body part that clearly made her nervous, even though she didn't seem to fear kissing him whenever an opportunity presented itself. Or petting his ears. Or touching his chest if his kosode came a little loose. _Focus on what she's asking!_ Inuyasha took a deep breath.

"When it comes time, we'll have to share a bit of blood, nothing dangerous. There are... specific words we have to speak. I guess it's pretty much a spell in its own way." He took another, deeper breath. "The marking with scents is more important for inuyoukai than other youkai."

As usual, showing how perceptive she was, Kagome picked up on his nervousness and reflected it. "And that is the... when we..."

"Yea." Inuyasha closed his eyes against the anxiety-laced heat that rose off of his wife. "Look, it's the most important part, but it's not like there's a," he paused, trying to think of the right words, "traditional way we have to do it. That's entirely up to us."

Nodding slowly, Kagome kept her gaze lowered. "That's a good thing I suppose." She sighed, letting out a slight laugh. "Our lives are so not normal, you know?" Inuyasha turned his gaze away, embarrassed. He knew she didn't mean it that way, but it reminded him how normal her life could have been if it hadn't been for him in it. Without him and the jewel to ruin her life, she would have finished her schooling at the top of her class, she would have gone on to the bigger school she'd told him about to study for a career. An important job like a doctor or a teacher. She would have married a human man with a good job and money to provide for her. A stable life. No demons trying to eat her, no hanyous to make her cry… "I know that look," she interrupted his thoughts abruptly. Her soft hand slid along his cheek, which he pressed into almost without meaning to. "I'm happy to finally be with the man I love," she said in such a soft whisper, he almost wasn't sure of what he'd heard. "We've just had to go about this so backwards. The boys came before we'd even had our real first kiss." Her little lopsided smile made him smile too.

"When have we ever done things the way everyone else does?" he murmured, carefully nuzzling her cheek. Gathering her into his lap, he was able to absorb some of her warmth, soaking in her scent. "I wish this could have all gone like it was supposed to..."

"Hush. All that matters is that we're together and that the boys are safe and healthy, alright?"

"Yea, alright."

**...**

A slightly wobbly barrier stood between them as Inuyasha inspected her work. "Well, I'm not going to touch it," he told his wife.

"Come on Inuyasha. It's not going to hurt," she wheedled.

"Keh, I know that. I just don't feel like being human today," he replied with a sarcastic lilt. Kagome grinned at her husband with a seductive look in her eye. "Hey..."

"I'll make it worth your while," she purred in his ear. Said appendage twitched nervously. She was promising a great deal and it was well worth the short stint as a human, but he didn't like the idea of leaving his family more or less defenseless for any period of time. Well, maybe not completely defenseless. Kagome was more than strong enough to fend off most youkai, and he was not a total weakling while human. "Please?" Snorting at his lovely wife's manipulations, the inuhanyou handed over Toga before stepping away from her.

Rin was focusing pretty hard in the center of her barrier, clearly nervous about the strength of it, both in it's protective quality and in the likelihood of it hurting her lord's brother. Inuyasha edged closer, gently nudging the wall of miko energy with his youki before he was even in range of touching it. If it couldn't stand up to the strength of his youki alone it was unlikely to stand up to him putting his hand through it. He glanced at Rin once more before flaring his youki a little more fiercely. The barrier wobbled severely, Rin grunting at the strain, but held. "Not bad kid." He waited a moment before stepping closer, flaring his youki a moment before touching the barrier with a fingertip. The crackle against his finger was irritating but not painful and the barrier snapped out of existence like a popped soap bubble. "Try for a smaller area next time. Your power won't be stretched so thin."

"Very good Rin-chan," Kagome complimented with a smile. "Inuyasha's right. Stronger is always better than bigger." Rin nodded slowly, taking in the advice in the same quiet way she seemed to take everything now. Kagome kind of missed the bubbly child they'd all known, but understood and appreciated how seriously Rin was taking her training.

A burble came from one of the twins and the other responded with a soft giggle. Kagome smiled at the way they seemed to communicate with each other. Right now they were mostly using "human" sounds with each other and "inuyoukai" with Inuyasha. They tried to communicate with her in grunts and growls but seemed to be learning that she couldn't respond in the same way their father could. "They think the tickle from my youki is funny," Inuyasha said with a shake of his head.

"They did not say that," Kagome said with a laugh, not believing him for a moment. Inuyasha blinked at her in that way that let her know he didn't understand why she could possibly think he was joking. "You're serious?"

"Keh. They're getting more fluent all the time."

Kagome sighed. "I wish my ears were sensitive enough to hear the differences when they try to talk to you." Inuyasha gave her a lopsided grin. "Rin-chan," she called, quickly changing her focus, "Try one more, then you can take the rest of the day off." Rin nodded resolutely before closing her eyes in concentration. Again a too-large, wavering barrier popped up around her. "Smaller, Rin-chan, smaller," Kagome reminded her. The young woman took a deep breath and scrunched her nose as she focused the barrier down, shrinking it slightly and losing some of the instability. A sharp rise of youki startled them all, sparking against Rin's energy. Her eyes flew open and she almost lost the protection completely.

"Your concentration leaves something to be desired," Sesshomaru intoned, stepping up beside his brother. Inuyasha flicked his eyes over before focusing on Rin once more. Rin's eyes reflected her disappointment but she quickly regained her determination. Her energy became a slightly more opaque pink as it shrunk again, clearly not wavering in the slightest this time. Sesshomaru, face blank, let off another, stronger burst of youki. It crackled along the outside of Rin's barrier without affecting it or the girl inside. "Better."

Hitoshi on the other hand became agitated, forcing Kagome to hand Toga to his father and comfort him. His violet eyes were damp and wide in his pale face. Kagome hushed him gently while tucking his nose into her neck. Just like it did for his brother and his father, the scent of her calmed Hitoshi right away. "Hush now, Love," she whispered as his sniffles died down.

"Oi, Fluffy, you're upsetting my kid," Inuyasha called with a frown drawing his dark brows down over his eyes. The taiyoukai's gaze sliced to his nephew curled against Kagome just before he allowed his youki to subside. Inuyasha grunted something that could have been grateful. "Come on, Kagome. Leave them to it." Kagome glanced at the young woman who had let her barrier down yet stood without moving, her eyes locked on her youkai lord. She chewed her lip a moment in worry, but her husband nudged her in the direction of their home before she could decide what was bothering her. "It's been a week since he last visited, let them be."

"Are you sure..."

"Kagome, she's too young. He knows that. He's not a complete beast."

The young miko giggled. "Don't let your brother hear you say that. He might think you actually like him." Inuyasha snorted in response, nudging her a little more urgently toward the house. Once in the house, they put the twins down for a nap. They both fell asleep fairly quickly, a blessing in and of itself, leaving Kagome time to fold diapers.

"Leave them until later," came a whisper in her ear. Kagome jumped slightly before relaxing back into her husband's hold. "You made me a promise, woman," he reminded her.

"You're right, I did."

"I intend to collect on that promise." His hands slid over her hips in a slow, enticing manner. "Have I ever told you what a blessing the pups have been?" Confused by the direction of his question in contrast to the movements of his hands, Kagome only nodded slightly. "You were definitely meant to be a mother," he clarified with press of his hips against hers and the slight pressure of his claws against the front of her thighs. Kagome grinned and shook her head, returning his pressure.

Turning to face her husband and push him into the other room, Kagome gave him a sly and analytical look. "You seem pretty serious about taking this further." Inuyasha didn't miss the slight nervousness beneath her flirtatious bravery. They had made several attempts at intimacy in the last few weeks but they were either interrupted or one of them backed out. Inuyasha feared hurting her more than anything and each time she gasped, his heart rate jumped. Granted they were usually gasps of pleasure or surprise, but he wasn't quite used to it yet. Kagome was nervous about baring all to someone who may not want to see it. She knew he'd never meant it when he called her ugly, and she knew he definitely thought she was attractive now, but still she worried. She hadn't lost all of her baby weight yet and she knew the stretch mark cream her mother had given her had only been able to compensate so much. Most women didn't grow to fit twins in less than five months. And what if he really only felt obligated to her, to their children?

At that moment, that seemed to matter less and less. "Only if you're ready to, Kagome," he murmured while nibbling her throat. Kagome sighed softly, tilting her head to the side to give him more room to taste and explore. Inuyasha let out a low growl of approval, licking and kissing his way toward her shoulder. Kagome felt the edge of the futon against the back of her heels, unsure how she'd lost her tenuous control over her husband. "We'll go slow," he promised. "You tell me to stop." Kagome took a deep breath and nodded. Inuyasha gently lowered them to the bed, losing his haori a moment later. Kagome grinned slightly, tracing her fingers along the line of his kosode. Not wanting to startle her, Inuyasha sat back and let her explore with tickling caresses before she finally leaned forward to press kisses to his exposed skin. When she eventually worked up the nerve to part the fabric, he helped her pull it from his shoulders and from his hakama. Kagome let out a shuddering sigh. "You alright?"

Nodding, Kagome let out a little laugh. "You're just so perfect. I forget that sometimes."

"Keh, ain't nothing perfect about me. You on the other hand..." Kagome grinned when he leaned her back until she could rest comfortably on the futon. While most men, from what she had read or heard from friends in the future, went straight for the breasts or between the legs with grabbing hands, her hanyou was far more intent on exploring her everywhere with his nose and tongue first. "This is my favorite spot," he finally muttered before licking the crease along the edge of one breast. Kagome stifled a gasp of surprise, not wanting to startle him like in the past. She knew Inuyasha thought he was hurting her, even when he wasn't. "Kagome..." he groaned slightly when she reached up to gently pet one ear. His nose had followed the gap in her yukata down to her navel, parting the fabric as he went.

She reminded herself to keep breathing normally as he peeled her out of the yukata completely and even reached shaking hands to touch the soft skin of his shoulders and back. She was always so jealous of how smooth and unblemished his skin was. That hanyou healing ability certainly kept him looking untouched by the injuries inflicted on him. The only scar was the place where two mikos' arrows had pierced his chest. Kagome softly touched there as well, an apology in her eyes when Inuyasha glanced at her.

"Don't. It wasn't you."

"Technically..." Inuyasha cut her off with a fierce kiss, effectively distracting her from whatever she was going to say. Both of them relished the feeling of bare skin pressing together for the first time, the heat flaring between them undeniable. Inuyasha didn't seem satisfied until he had sniffed or licked almost every inch of her, which Kagome quickly realized was partially his way of marking her with his scent. It felt great too, so she had no complaints. He gently removed her underthings, particularly careful with the nursing bra she'd reminded him was very expensive.

He really liked it when she bit his lip, she discovered by accident. His knuckles had found a particularly sensitive spot while he was peeling off her underwear and she'd bitten down to hold in her whimper while he kissed her. Inuyasha let out a low groan and his kiss intensified. "Again," he growled to her, his lips nearly bruising hers with their ferocity. Kagome gently sucked his lip for a moment before taking hold of it with her teeth. When he pulled away to gasp for breath, she didn't let go right away. "Fuu…." he groaned, unable to finish the thought aloud with Kagome's mouth catching his.

Inuyasha found himself more desperate than ever to complete their mating. Despite his body's urgency, he went slow. He had to make sure the marking was done properly and that the exchange of blood and energy went smoothly. If he gave himself over to his desires, they would probably both have finished already and… _That's not the goal here. Later, not now_, he had to remind himself. Before he lost his train of thought, he began speaking the words he had practiced for months. "With this mark I share my life, my strength and my protection. I offer my soul."

Kagome sighed and whimpered as he spoke against her skin, his tongue occasionally darting out to catch a patch of skin, the curve of her ear, a strained tendon in her neck. When he finished his part, he gave her a look, warning her that he intended to mark her. "I accept your mark, your strength and your soul," she whispered. "I will protect that which you give and give what you would have of me." Inuyasha's eyes glittered with pleasure before an apology swept across his amber eyes. The claw on his thumb sliced across her left shoulder, just above her collarbone and her heart, drawing blood.

"Then you are my mate in word and bond," he murmured, gasping when her free hand took hold of him and guided him where he needed to go. "Kagome," he breathed, closing his eyes tightly. He felt her small hand grip his larger one, pushing a claw against his own chest. He'd gotten so caught up in feeling her touch, he'd almost forgotten. He let her guide his hand, but had to be the one to actually slice his own skin since she wasn't strong enough on her own. His blood welled up more slowly than hers had and he pushed a little deeper in case it began to close before they could finish.

"Heart and soul," she completed the necessary words. "I love you," she whispered as he sank into her. Golden eyes wide, Inuyasha gasped softly as he found he could go no further.

"Kagome…" She smiled up at him, a wince pinching her face when he began to move. He growled at her pain, wishing it away. He again found the spot which had caused her to bite his lip earlier, brushing over it with the back of two knuckles. It was his lovely wife's turn to gasp, her back arching up off the bed. He continued the pressure there while resuming the movement of his hips against hers. Leaning down to kiss her brought a whimper out of the beautiful woman below him and he found that their bodies slid together much more easily.

She finally cried out, her body's reaction sending a shockwave through his system. Inuyasha didn't think he would last very long at this rate, glad when Kagome gasped and whimpered his name. He took her right hand, quickly slicing into her thumb before doing the same to himself. They each pressed their thumbs against the marks over each other's hearts. Her scent flooded his nose and he felt himself falling off the edge of his release.

Only to be caught by the sensation of their energies wrapping around them both. Kagome's reiki swirled with his youki as an iridescent semi opaque bubble. The bubble shrank until it melted into them, healing the wounds on their chests and thumbs, remaining as a glow over each spot for another moment. When the light faded, his name, in bold kanji, remained behind. He was barely able to look down at his own shoulder, but he could see the very edge of the black writing on his own skin. "Wow," Kagome breathed, still catching her breath. Inuyasha grinned down at her. "So… So it's done then?"

Inuyasha felt a chuckle rise in him, rumbling in his chest, before kissing his wife and mate. "No Kagome, it's just beginning."

**...**

Tiny snores let her know the twins were out. Not surprising. They'd had their first experience with somewhat solid food and they had been so thrilled, they'd worn themselves out. She couldn't help smiling at the memory despite the angry squeals she got from both boys when she had to scrub them head to toe afterward. Toga had even managed to get some inside his ear. Luckily she had the modern convenience of a bulb syringe to flush and then suction anything out that shouldn't be there. Needless to say, Toga was not her biggest fan after that. Kagome finished folding the clean diapers and towels from her basket before glancing over at her silent companion. "Everything alright, Rin-chan?" The young woman startled at her question, looking sheepishly down at the scroll in her hands after getting caught staring. "What is it?"

Rin's mouth screwed up, a clear sign she wasn't sure what to say or if she should say it. Kagome had become more and more familiar with her small facial cues the longer she stayed with them, a plus since Rin had started displaying the same kind of emotional attributes as her lord. In other words… none. "Kagome-sama?" She took a ragged breath before letting it out between pursed lips. "I can't help noticing that we look quite like one another."

Knowing the issue would arise at some point was not the same as being prepared to face it, Kagome realized. "There are similarities, yes. Does that bother you?" she tried to reply calmly.

"No... perhaps."

A small smile twitched at the older miko's mouth. "Rin-chan, there is a lot that has happened and that will happen that is hard to explain."

"I know you are from a future time, Kagome-sama. What... What if I am to be reincarnated into you someday," she blurted, clapping a hand over her mouth a moment later. "I am sorry, that was rude." The poor girl looked like she was about to burst into flame, she was so flushed with embarrassment. Kagome couldn't help being glad for the normal, human, reaction.

Trying to find the right words was difficult, but Kagome tried to think of how best to explain their situation. "I don't think that is what will happen. And don't worry about offending me." Kagome went on to carefully explain how Kikyo had been revived and what that had made her feel. "I constantly worried that I was only meant to come back here to bring her back for Inuyasha."

"But you are meant for each other, Midoriko even said so, did she not?"

"Yes. But I didn't know that then. I was the same age as you. I was caught up in how I felt and how Inuyasha did or didn't feel about me." She smiled a little. "Now that I'm older, I still worry about those kinds of things, but not as much. I was selfish then, immature. I've learned that there are much bigger things in this world than a teenage girl's crush."

"So I should be resigned to my fate..." Rin's face fell.

Kagome shook her head, brown eyes wide. "Not at all. If I had just given up that first time, I would have lost my soul. Inuyasha didn't know what he was doing to me, but I fought hard to stay here. I always have." She reached out and took Rin's hand. "It's too soon to know what your fate will hold, but I bet you it will be spectacular, Rin. And I'm sure Sesshomaru will be with you every step of the way."

Rin looked a little miserable at that. "There has been pressure in the court for him to find a mate," she breathed, as though voicing it to Kagome might make it more real. "They wish for him to ally himself with another inuyoukai clan, one of the few left. There is a female who is not any older than I am that they want him to make his lady." Kagome fought the urge to flinch at the news. Practically, she knew how things worked in the Sengoku Jidai... it didn't make it easier to swallow with her upbringing shaping her attitudes about the age of consent. At least with Rin, as Inuyasha had explained, she knew Sesshomaru understood that she was not yet an adult. She had a feeling it did not work the same with youkai, who physically matured much faster. _Mentally is another story_, she thought with a sardonic grin, thinking of her mate.

She tried to come up with something comforting and honest to say. She thought over how she had seen Sesshomaru interact with his young ward and couldn't think of a moment in which he hadn't shown her some particular attention or clear affinity. "It doesn't look like Sesshomaru has much interest in an inuyoukai child for his mate." She looked at Rin's face, which didn't seem convinced. "He shows you a very particular gentleness that I certainly have never seen him treat anyone else with."

"The lower courtiers do not care if I hear. They think he will claim her as his mate and will keep me as a concubine, then be rid of me when I age too much." Kagome dropped what she was doing, her hands numb at the thought. _He wouldn't... He wouldn't dare!_ She felt the fury at the very idea try to bubble out of her and she had to consciously quell her rising aura.

"Unacceptable," she hissed.

"Kagome-sama..."

Sesshomaru picked a very inopportune moment to arrive in the village, his youki easily discernible from his brother's. Inuyasha was out with the villagers and Miroku, fixing broken and rundown fences. He was calm and busy. Sesshomaru was clearly eager and impatient, which was so different from how she had read each of them in the past. It barely fazed her that she could so definitely read their youki, too intent on finding her brother-in-law and telling him off. "Please keep an eye on the boys," she growled at her apprentice and stomped out of the hut.

Sesshomaru was taken aback by the glowing miko who approached him as he came looking for Rin. Kagome was near spitting pink flame in her anger and he had no idea what had garnered such fury. He had a feeling he was about to find out though. "Miko..."

"Don't you 'Miko' me! Are you going to claim some child bride youkai and then keep Rin on as a concubine?" The directness of her question was appalling, but he had to appreciate how clearly protective she was of Rin. He folded his arms over his chest.

"This Sesshomaru does not answer to you, Miko."

"Oh, you'll answer to me alright! If you ever plan on seeing Rin-chan again, you will damn well answer me right now!" She took an angry breath, slightly overwhelmed by her own emotions. "That young woman in there adores you!" she hissed, pointing back toward her hut. "She would jump to the moon and back for you, if she could. And you're going to take advantage of her love and loyalty to use her like a... a..." She couldn't say it out loud.

Sesshomaru fought down slight amusement at her sudden tongue-tied state, as well as anger at what had apparently been spoken of in front of his ward and what she had obviously asked for advice about from her mentor. "It has never been the intention of this Sesshomaru to a woman in the manner you imply. It is most likely the intention of the lower court to upset and frighten Rin."

Kagome's ire cooled a little, but she still stared at her brother-in-law in simmering anger. "So you do not plan on marrying some inuyoukai female barely out of diapers." He simply raised an eyebrow at her. Kagome waited a moment for him to answer before putting her fists on her hips and shifting her weight. "Sesshomaru, I understand that you think this regal thing will work on me and I'll just cave and drop it, but I imagine you've known me long enough at this point to know I'm not going to just let it go."

A faint look of irritation flitted across his features. "You know very well why Rin was brought here and why it is so important that she learn to control her abilities in the same manner that you have gained control over yours."

"So you do plan to make her your mate someday." He didn't outright agree, but he didn't deny it either. "Good. I would hate to have to maim family," she said, turning on her heel and heading back into her hut. Sesshomaru stood in the path for some time without moving. Her power had increased at least by half of what was already more than impressive. Had mating his brother increased her aura? Some remnant of the jewel still influencing their lives?

"Certainly told you, didn't she?" Sesshomaru didn't have to look at his brother to know he was smirking at him from where he was perched in a nearby tree.

"It would do you well to teach your mate better manners."

Inuyasha chuckled, hopping down from his branch. "Why would I do that when it means I get to see her fluster you?" Sesshomaru swiped at him and the two partook in a short mock battle. "Are the courtiers really trying to push you into a mating with another inuyoukai?" he asked when they slowed, both losing interest in the "game."

It took a moment for the taiyoukai to respond. "It has been suggested... often. The daughter of the other clan is barely more than a child. She is of age, but one would not know it for her behavior."

"Spoiled?"

"Obscenely." Inuyasha grunted. "There are few voices calling for it, but they are the loudest."

"Kagome usually says something about the squeakiest wheel getting the grease in that sort of situation."

"She is not inaccurate. However, it is not in this Sesshomaru's nature to give in to the... squeakiest wheel." Inuyasha fought a snicker at his brother using Kagome's analogy. "Once Rin is in control of her abilities, then she will return to the fortress and they will not be able to threaten her as they have in the past."

Inuyasha stiffened. "They actually had the balls to threaten her? When she is openly under your protection?" His brother was a very powerful youkai, even he could admit that. To think some of his lesser nobles had threatened harm on his ward...

"Rumors have spread that this Sesshomaru has gone... soft," he nearly spat the last. "Rin's presence gives those who would usurp power leverage."

"You know she's not a weakness."

"No, she is not."

Inuyasha studied his brother's stiff form. "You're still worried that she's making you weak." No response, but the silence was telling. "I worried that Kagome was making me soft, less of a warrior," he admitted after a few moments of silence. "I heard it from too many bastards to count that she made me weak because I cared about her safety instead of just winning the fight at any cost." Only a pair of golden eyes turned his way, no other indication he was hearing what he was saying. "Protecting Kagome is what gave me strength, what made fighting and living worthwhile. Hell, I wouldn't even be able to use Tetsusaiga without her." He chuckled, resting his hand on the sword at his hip. "I could have died in a hundred battles. But Kagome needed me. I could have let something happen to her... but what point would there be to living afterward? Kagome made my life worth living and without her I would have died years ago, even if I'd made it off Goshinboku another way." He sighed, studying his brother. Something came to his mind and he couldn't keep it to himself. "Do you have someone to protect, Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha was startled by the sharp response in his brother. The taiyoukai turned to look at him suddenly, his eyes wide with surprise. "What did you say?" came his low whisper.

Frowning, the inuhanyou thought about what he'd asked and wondered why it would affect his stoic older sibling so acutely. "Do you have someone to protect? I don't know why, I just... needed to say it."

It took a long time for Sesshomaru to school his features again and then gather his thoughts together well enough to speak. "Father asked me that once, when I demanded Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha stood, stunned, never having heard his brother drop the formal address before. Then he thought about what his brother was admitting to.

"It popped into my head and I had to say it." Both of them froze and stared at the sword at Inuyasha's hip as they felt the pulse of its energy. "Alright you old coot, we get the hint," Inuyasha was the first to speak, patting the hilt affectionately. "I guess Oyaji is still trying to help us both along."

"Chichi-ue was always trying to teach a lesson when you least expected it." Inuyasha smirked. "Tetsusaiga has continued to grow stronger as your desire to protect your miko has risen," he said after a moment, as though conceding a point. "It stands to reason that your youki has as well." Inuyasha shrugged. "This Sesshomaru... I," he amended, "thought I was at the limit of my own capabilities before finding Rin."

"Amazing what you can make yourself do when you have someone relying on you, isn't it?" the older inuyoukai grunted something that could have been an agreement. "Look, I'm not going to tell you what's right. I just know that if you're supposed to be together, the kami will make it happen. You might have to get yourself nearly killed for it to make sense, but if it's meant to be, you'll know it." Inuyasha thought about all the omens and indications he'd ignored when he'd first met Kagome. Everything pointed to their future being together but he'd been too stubborn to see it until it was shoved under his nose.

A squeal of laughter from one of the boys made his ears perk in the direction of his hut and a smile curl his mouth. "Their youki is quite strong for ones so young." Inuyasha nodded and explained what had happened before. He hummed, remembering how much stronger her aura had pulsed at him when furious. "She is stronger as well." Sesshomaru looked thoughtful. "The jewel is no longer in existence. It should not still be affecting your mate."

"Shouldn't be. Doesn't mean it isn't. She was born with the damned thing inside of her and it stayed there until her fifteenth birthday, when she came here." He stared off in the direction of his family. "Kagome's power may directly come from Midoriko herself. It may be that the boys siphon off the youki of Magatsuhi as they grow. We just don't know."

"That may explain why it was their birth that was needed to destroy the Shikon no Tama." Inuyasha nodded, confirming he'd had the same thought. The unknowns were making them a little crazy, but there was little to nothing they could do about it. The boys were still developing as normally as could be expected and they hadn't displayed any strange behaviors that were cause for worry. Kagome was stronger than ever, no more fainting spells after the first. Inuyasha was guessing, and hoping, that it was partially due to the completion of their mating and the strength that provided her. Her aura consistently flared around her when she was agitated, something she was learning to control again. Luckily it didn't seem to affect him or the boys. He was reminded of his conversation with Rin regarding power and the heart's wishes.

"I would speak with Rin now," Sesshomaru spoke after a moment, striding off without another word. Inuyasha just smiled and shook his head before following his brother.


End file.
